Threat Against Democracy (TAD). I like to tell a story about the risks one
takes when walking through a cow pasture.
There are at least two – buzzing flies are everywhere and there are cow patties
on the ground. If you don’t keep your
priorities straight, you can get so engrossed batting the flies away that you
don’t watch where you’re stepping and you find yourself standing in cow dung.
That’s kind of what it’s been like watching the Trump
administration since the inauguration.
Take, for example, Kellyanne Conway’s response when she was called out
about the so-called Bowling Green Massacre.
“Honest mistakes abound” she said.
She didn’t say “I made a mistake” though.
Or the disconnect between administration
officials comments about our relationship with Mexico and the Trump’s own
statements.
The scary information that
Reince Priebus attempted to influence the FBI, while still being debated, is a
troubling part of the pattern.
Watching
Propaganda Secretary Spicer try to explain away Trump’s description of
immigration actions as military wasn’t pretty either. But his actions to keep mainstream media out
of a press gaggle were worse.
Steve Bannon’s
statement about the deconstruction of the administrative state was additional
evidence of the intentions of the administration.
And there are so many
more.
Are these individual incidents cow
dung or flies? Whether you swat at them
individually or take them all together, it’s clear what we’re standing in.
Are our form of government and our basic liberties at
risk? Yes, and more than just a TAD.
Please share if you are concerned, too.