In the first issue of The Nation, published in 1865, three months after the end of the Civil War, the magazine rejoiced about the prospect of finally fulfilling our country’s early promise:
“We celebrate not only the close of a long and bloody civil war, but the close of the contest which preceded and led to it, that, as it was well called, ‘irrepressible conflict,’ which for half a century absorbed all the intellect of the country, perverted its understanding, corrupted its morals, and employed most of its moral and mental energy…”
When I read that, I had an epiphany! I realized that is precisely what President Trump is doing to us!
Under the thumb of Donald Trump once again, the Republicans have engaged us in such a conflict, “absorbing all the intellect of the country, perverted its understanding, corrupted its morals and employed most of its moral and mental energy”
Trump has defaced America’s patriotic image, which President Reagan praised as a shining city on a hill, replacing this inspirational image with a ruthless, transactional free-for-all driven solely by brute force and his naked quest for personal enrichment.
Just as carpetbaggers descended on the south after the Civil War, wantonly trashing the new laws passed to ensure that Black Americans would become free, so Trump appointees, notably Elon Musk and his Doge renegades, have taken a chainsaw to the regulations and institutional norms that have insured our federal workforce is independent and impartial, beholden only to the citizens they serve.
The strength of the American government lies in its system of checks and balances, which divides power among the president, Congress and the Supreme Court. This system works similarly to our immune system, serving as a security system that guards our body from illness. Both identify intruders that threaten us, whether it is our physical body or our body politic, and reject them before they can cause serious harm.
When viewed this way, Trump is not our savior but a plague like COVID-19, attacking the body politic rather than defending it. Trump has accomplished this by squashing old-school Republicans, pulverizing their proud legacy into a servile rubber stamp to serve him.
Compare Donald Trump’s vision of America with that of President Ronald Reagan as expressed in his Farewell Address to the Nation. Reagan references the concept of a “shining city on a hill.” This image originates from John Winthrop’s 1630 sermon to the Massachusetts Bay colonists, and is meant to symbolize a community serving as an example for the world to follow.
It is about ideals. Here are some quotes and commentary from that speech:
“I won a nickname, “The Great Communicator.” But … they didn’t spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation – from our experience, our wisdom and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries.”
“Teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace,” he said, highlighting the welcoming nature of America and its diverse population.
A place with “doors that were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here,” signifying America’s openness to immigrants and those seeking freedom.
“‘We the People” are the driver; the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route and how fast. ”
For Reagan, like all our former presidents, America’s success isn’t only about military or economic achievements but about the lasting power of ideals. I remember with goose bumps, as if it were yesterday, how inspired I was by President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech: “And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
Tragically, Donald Trump doesn’t have an idealistic bone in his body. Rather than challenging us to live up to our highest ideals, Trump is pressuring us to follow in his footsteps, stooping to our lowest instincts.
Sadly, we are witnessing our hallowed shining city contort itself into a gated palace, where only rich white men need apply.
Jean Stimmell, retired stone mason and psychotherapist, lives in Northwood and blogs at jeanstimmell.blogspot.com and jstim.substack.com.