In one of the most bizzare and brilliant scenes in American political history, Donald J. Trump last night declined the Republican nomination for President of the United States of America. Speaking to a packed convention center in Cleveland, Ohio where he had just been selected by an overwhelming majority of delegates, Mr. Trump took to the podium and began a speech that stunned the country and world at large:
"My fellow Americans, tonight I am going to tell you a story and talk about my vision for the future. This campaign began not as a... prank, but an experiment. An experiment to show the American people just how venal and divided and dysfunctional our current form of government is (gasps).
I am not qualified to be President (boos). No, I'm really not, and I don't mind telling you that. I don't have the experience in that system, and for that I am grateful. Very grateful. I'm a businessman, that is what I do: business. But I have to tell you, it's too hard these days for me to separate business from all the issues that are currently ruining this great country and running it into the ground. Issues that we have ignored or accepted far too long that are undermining our strength and killing our ability to compete on a global stage, and making us turn against each other."
Mr. Trump then went on to describe many of those issues, including: a broken political system that responds only to corporate lobbying and campaign contributions; breathtaking economic inequality, and widespread corporate criminality and tax cheating; a superficial media that vies mainly to see "who can bark the loudest"; an incoherent immigration policy that is as much a failure as our war on drugs; a dark cabal of government spying agencies with varying spying agendas; a country grounded in fear and economic insecurity, debt and technological disruption, with no safety net or mechanism for people who want to work to be able to do so; and a health care system that is neither affordable nor able to promote either health or care.
Mr. Trump said he had to be more extreme than he felt comfortable being during the campaign - painting issues in stark black and white - in order to get people's attention. Otherwise, "it's all noise and nuance, and nobody gets excited about that."
He then went on to say, "Look, I need qualified workers for my hotels, my golf courses, my other businesses, as does every business in this country. Where are we going to find those people when they can't afford to live near those businesses, commute to them, or even apply for them because they're working two, three jobs just to make ends meet? In the mean time, you have these CEOs making 20-30 million dollars a year (tax-free because they can afford offshore tax havens) lining the pockets of our politicians so that even more money will flow their way. It's despicable, and I know, because I've seen how the system operates - from the inside, and top to bottom. I've always said, 'tax me more', and I believe that. I can afford it, and I'll tell you what, so can all the other businesses in this country. If they can't, then they are not competitive, and who wants to keep subsidizing a bunch of losers? Eventually all the people drowning will realize how easy it is to capsize those few partying in the lifeboats."
In reference to his supporters, Mr. Trump encouraged them not to be disheartened. He told them they had made their voices heard and now had the responsiblity to follow up on his candidacy with real action rather than relying on one person to do the job. "It's not realistic to expect one person to change a dysfunctional system if that person has to work within the rules of that system" Mr. Trump stated. Toward that end, he revealed plans for a new organization - the Make America Great Foundation - to be headed by himself, that will hold politicians, government officials, corporations, and others accountable for their actions based upon a set of measurable criteria (yet to be revealed). He said he welcomes all Americans - of any political party - who want to influence change in a more direct way.
In effect, with the Make America Great Foundation, Mr. Trump explained that he hopes to create not only a Super PAC but a shadow government that will mobilize millions of people and dollars for its causes, and pay people for their levels of organizing and involvement. Mr. Trump was very candid about this in comments after the speech saying, "Look, bullies only respond to strength. If I have to create a bully to achieve what we want, then that is what I will do. We will have the best people, I guarantee it, because those people will be you. Remember 'We the People'?"
"And, remember, I can always run again."
As can be expected, Mr. Trump's exit from the 2016 Presidential race has created an immediate tsunami of relief, disbelief, dismay and political manuevering. While Mr. Trump did not endorse any of the remaining candidates, either Democrat or Republican, he did imply that any person selected in this next election will be a lame duck from the start, "Because they will have to deal with the Make America Great Foundation. They don't get to play inside ball with their cronies anymore."
Is Donald J. Trump the greatest politican to never hold public office? We'll see in the coming months.
by markk, Duck Soup | Read more:
