I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
But not to the Republican of the hour for whom he thinks it stands.
That’s no partisan dig.
No individual gets my allegiance, particularly an elected one. An elected official is my servant. The allegiance is owed to me.
Donald Trump thinks it’s the other way around. Ditto the sycophants queuing up for his holy water splash.
I appreciate that they think he’s a special talent, the man of the moment. In history’s sweep, his moment will be momentary.
Little built. Little policy that lasts – except that which oozes from the most ideologically warped Supreme Court in U.S. history.
What will last will be his imprint of corruption, law-breaking and deceit. Impeached twice. Indicted five times when out of office. When it’s done, his tale will be the cautionary one that prefaces all U.S. elections to come.
— A raft of criminal charges; massive civil penalties for fraud and the defamation of a woman he sexually assaulted; repeated contempt of court citations.
— Non-stop lying that led to bloodshed on the steps of the U.S Capitol.
— Embracing violence against political foes. Don’t think so? Ask Paul Pelosi.
The Inciter could shine my shoes every morning for the next four years and not get a nod from me.
Sadly, the spell he cast on a juicy wedge of the electorate –- big assist to “We Lie For Ratings” Fox Spews and its all-GOP-propaganda-all-the-time kin — has delivered to him another chance to mess things up.
Let’s hope it doesn’t kill a million of us like the last crisis Trump mismanaged. If RFK Jr. can convince enough of us to not vaccinate, we could run up those numbers in jiffy.
Now, how do alarmed Americans manage the second Trump term? I have this suggestion: Pay attention to what he does, not what he says. Don’t even lend an ear.
At this moment, let us pause to pay homage to Australian inventor Robert Adler. In 1956 he came up with one of the most precious innovations in human history: the TV mute button.
I know you’ve used Adler’s gift to mankind repeatedly during this and previous election seasons. Now to use it post-election.
I hereby pledge not to hear Trump over the next four years – not his inaugural speech, not his State of the Union. Not a quip. Not an insult. Not a wholly uncalled-for boast. For one so inadequate, he’s particularly adept at that. A liar can spin a web.
The mute button is one of the greatest inventions of modern times. Use it.
You see that orange-blasted face on your TV screen? You know what to do. Deprive him of his sound.
We don’t owe him the opportunity to lie to us anymore.
As for watching what he does: That we must. Not even a week after the vote, Trump reminded us what a wrecking ball does.
Matt Gaetz as attorney general? Well. Of course. Old buddy Jeffery Epstein is unavailable. Who ya gonna call?
His choice of Fox Spews talking head Robert Hegseth as secretary of defense is in keeping with a bulging pipeline from that propaganda machine to the Trump machine. After all, they are one in the same. You knew that. Right?
Such a relationship may bother you. But it could be worse. Trump’s favorite cable source could be Cartoon Network. He could fill out the whole Joint Chiefs of Staff just from characters of “Space Ghost Coast to Coast.” (If over 50, Google it.)
Horrible things are going to emanate from the Trump White House. It is our job to fight back, to support those who fight it in Washington, to make a purposeful noise while putting him on mute.
It’s our country, after all, not his.
John Young lives in Colorado. Email: jyoungcolumn@gmail.com.