Well it doesn’t get much whiter than that.
And yes, I actually did hear Trump’s attempts to sound like he would be the Great Unifier who will heal the wounds of all our ghettoes. Something about when you open your heart to patriotism there’s no room for prejudice. Nice line actually, although it didn’t get much applause. And if it were coming from anyone other than the favored candidate of the Ku Klux Klan, it might be worth an appreciative comment.
But the best way to judge a person is not by what they say (although I’ll get to that in a moment) but by those with whom they associate and, if they consider themselves a leader, those who believe it is in their best interest to follow him or her. Watching Trump deliver his speech on Friday afternoon, as the camera occasionally scanned the crowd spread out in front of him, it was interesting how closely that crowd resembled a Republican National Convention. That is to say, damned near all white. Sure, there were a few darker shades mixed into the vanilla which you might see if you looked really hard, and Detroit’s Bishop Wayne T. Jackson delivered the invocation, but aside from that? It was pretty much the United Party of Angry White People. You could see it in their faces, the faces of those who fervently believe (and hope and pray) Trump will keep them safe from the encroachment of non-whiteness for at least another four years.
But as much as this election was about the preservation of white male power, it was also about white fear of a changing America – and a changing world – where white people might be losing too much control of the situation. So who better to fix that situation than a tough-talking rich white businessman who lives in a gold-plated tower, high above the rest of the world below? Because if he’s that rich and that white, then surely he must be right.
We’ll see. Or rather, they will see. Because those of us who have been paying attention already know what to expect, and his cabinet selections have proven us far more right than we ever wanted to be.
But on to the speech. Apparently, Trump wrote the speech himself which, well, was sorta obvious. Because if a speechwriter wrote that then somebody needs to ask for their money back. Not that he needs it.
Anyway, here we go…
“Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power. And we are grateful to President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent. Thank you.”
OK, I admit it. Nice and decent thing to say. It was pretty much the last nice and decent thing he had to say, but at least he said it. So, OK.
“Today’s ceremony, however, has a very special meaning because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people.”
This was the very next thing that Trump said. So, if he’s giving the power back to the people, then why the move to Washington D.C. to consolidate more power than he’s ever had in his entire life? Was this supposed to be some sort of sleight-of-hand reverse power grab? If so, then please explain the cabinet selections of fellow billionaires Betsy DeVos and Rex Tillerson. And while he’s returning all this power, what powerless weakling(s) will be responsible for running the country?
“The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before.”
Oh we’ve seen it before, all right. And it doesn’t end well. As for the forgotten men and women, if they thought they’d been forgotten before? Stick around, kids. See how long it takes for that collection of billionaires to look out for you in coal country.
“Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation. An education system flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge. And the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.
“We are one nation, and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams, and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home and one glorious destiny.”
I mean, wow. Just…wow. Almost made me forget the Central Park Five, the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist endorsements, and the fight he and his father waged to keep blacks out of the apartment buildings they owned. Oh, and all that birther stuff where Trump demanded that President Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president, produce a birth certificate to prove he was born in the United States.
“From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first, America first. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our product, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs.”
This right here is what they call the money quote. Alongside a deeply imbedded racism and fear of diversity and multiculturalism, this is what brought out all those angry white voters who had never voted before. This is the rallying cry that made them feel comfortable ignoring all of Trump’s racist, sexist, Islamophobic bigotry; as long as he is willing to openly put (White) America first, whatever that means and everything it probably means, screw everything else. We’re with you, Donald.
“We will re-enforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth.”
Sure thing. From the entire Earth. OK.
“When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. There should be no fear. We are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.”
This is really good to know. No, seriously. Not that a united America is unstoppable, because we’re the farthest thing from united right now, and the man who is distrusted, reviled and feared by more than 90 percent of just about everyone who isn’t straight and white isn’t exactly the guy most likely to bridge the divide. But it really is good to know that we are now, thanks to Trump, protected by not only God Almighty, but the military AND law enforcement. You go, Trump! We can never be too safe!
“A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions. It’s time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots.”
So what color is the blood of non-patriots? Just a science question is all.
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