This blog was first published in 2019
Revelations from around the world show decidedly that liberal democracies are waning while autocratic/authoritarian governments are on the rise. Putin no longer muses about Russia being a democracy, rather now he brags and proudly announces his populist regime is a one-man show. Although China experienced a season of democratic reform, those reforms are now defunct and authoritarian rule is now the order of the day. The same is true for Brazil, Turkey, and many others. The same is becoming true for the United States under our illegitimate president, Donald Trump. The Republicans have abrogated their long-held pride in defending American democracy, traditions, and exceptionalism and have relinquished leadership in American governance to a pro-Putin style dictatorship. Democrats, on the other hand, have been outmaneuvered, out gunned, and out strategized leaving them with proclamations of empty words, high ideals with foundations of sand, and a powerless and toothless legal system. In order to maintain themselves in power, the Republicans have sacrificed honor and independence to a criminal who flouts the law, upbraids traditional norms, and disdains a history of civil competition. He, like his Russian mentor, is a one-man show.
It is apparent that Trump believes that he has the best mind, and consequently, does not need anyone else to help him rule his domain. Since his inauguration, the Trump administration has had the largest turnover of department executives than any other previous administration. Fifteen federal departments or agencies are operating with temporary, or “acting,” heads instead of a permanent leader due to departures or internal shakeups. And several of these acting heads have been in their positions for less than a year. Besides having temporary heads of these departments, the administration has gutted most departments, emptying them of experience and expertise. All departments are operating with 25% fewer staff and several with vacancies as high as 50%.
As a consequence of this one-man show and his “expert depleted” administration, he is turning western democracy on its head while our traditional allies flee to others for safety and assurances. Trump’s one-man polices, if any, are dangerous to America and the world. It is as John Lithgow opined in the NYT, “I call Donald Trump an “entertainer president” advisedly since he has proved himself to be such an inept public servant.” And his ineptness simply demonstrated by a telephone call that allowed Turkey to invade and kill hundreds of Kurds who had been American allies and who had sacrificed as many as 10,000 lives for the American cause in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our president did this without consulting a single advisor or military leader. Now American planes are bombing and destroying American facilities and materiel on the Turkish border. Trump’s inept brain justified this action because “they did not help in our World War II battle at Normandy.” Again, another indication that Donald Trump aspires to be an authoritarian dictator in the image and actions of Vladimir Putin.
Why does Trump seem to be satisfied with so many acting heads of cabinet departments? Of course, it’s not only the cabinet heads that have not been confirmed by the Senate, but a number of important agency chiefs and many high level personnel in a plethora of departments. At present, DOD, DHS and the Department of the Interior all have acting heads. Mick Mulvaney, the White House Chief of Staff is also an actor. Trump claims that he likes acting cabinet members because it gives him more flexibility. But it also means a loss of continuity. And acting also allows the person running the department to avoid Senate confirmation where many embarrassing questions could be asked and the candidate could be turned down.
Acting officials also provide the president with more control over these individuals and allows them to function with less oversight. Yet thus far, the Senate has not complained about Trump’s appointment of acting department heads.
Another question that has not been raised is whether or not the possible invocation of Article XXV by the principle officers of the government’s executive departments is in the back of the president’s mind when he appoints acting heads of departments or people to lead important agencies. Under Article XXV, Section 4, the president can be removed from office if a majority of the principle officers of executive departments and the vice-president believe he is unfit to discharge his duties. Has that possibility been worrying the president? We know that General James Mattis, formerly head of DOD, questioned the president’s actions at times, as did General John Kelly, his former Chief of Staff, and General McMaster at the NSC. We also are aware that Kristen Nielson was a protégé of General Kelly and probably had a similar view of the president.
No, the United States is not ready for a Trump dictator. It appears even more likely that Trump is headed in that direction and unless providence and/or Congressional common sense appears soon, if Trump should win a second term, we will he hailing the new dictator as King Trump.
CubieSphere 