June 9, 2025

Everyone, whoever they are, say that this President is purely transactional. It’s probably the same people that Trump evokes every time he uses the word “everyone,” which always means he is exaggerating, per The Washington Post. Anyway, everyone knows Trump has no moral compass or scruples. He has no ethics. He just wants to know what is in it for him politically or financially or both. He is always ready to do a deal as long as he gets his beak wet. The Trump family has been reported to have multiple projects underway in the Middle East, including a possible Trump golf resort in Qatar. And Trump gets a $400,000,000 jet from Qatar. Trump is hawking personal access just as he hawked Trump Steaks, Trump University, Trump Bibles, Trump sneakers, Trump watches, Trump cards, and Trump bitcoins. He sells pardons to anyone for the right price. Marriage is not a commitment. It’s a transaction.

Thus, it’s worth taking a look at what psychotherapists call Transactional Analysis, TA for short. TA is a form of psychotherapy developed by Eric Berne that focuses on understanding personality and social interactions. TA suggests that we have three ego states: Parent (reflecting external authority figures), Adult (rational and objective), and Child (representing childhood thoughts and feelings). TA identifies repetitive social patterns (games) that can lead to negative outcomes.

To put it simply, we need to ask if Trump is operating as a Parent, Adult, or Child, and what games is he playing, either consciously or subconsciously. A perfect and current example is Trump’s response to the civil unrest in Los Angeles. A “rational and objective” Adult would analyze the situation, discuss various reasonable responses, and develop a plan of action that would not escalate the situation, which is what Governor Gavin Newsom has tried to do. Newsom is focused on dealing with the protestors as fellow Adults, who are trying to express a point of view. On the other hand, you have the President of the United States, who is not focused on solving the problem. He is approaching the situation as a Parent would with an unruly child. The goal is not to solve the problem, but rather to exert control of the Child. In the words of The Atlantic, “Under Donald Trump, the federal government is like a bad parent: never there when you need him but eager to stick his nose in your business when you don’t want him to.”

On the other hand, when it comes Trump’s dealings with world leaders, especially the authoritarian ones like Putin, Orban, Xi, and the Arab sheiks, Trump is all too happy to play the role of a Child, which models his interactions with his own, domineering father. Rather than oppose the Adults, Trump reverts to being the obedient Child. Helsinki is the perfect example. When it came time for Trump to choose between Putin (Parent) and his own intelligence agencies (Adults), Trump did not have the courage to stand up to the Parent, and question his authority. The Child-Parent dynamic explains why Trump fawns over Putin and other autocrats, which he calls strongmen. Going up against them would be the same as going up against his own Parent. Trump is never happier when world leaders, especially from the Middle East, are fawning all over him like a Child. He enjoys making his Parents happy. Unfortunately, the world has figured out that it only takes a little Child psychology to get what you want from Trump.

One of the TA “games” that Trump is expert in is a game called “kick me.” In his first administration, Trump was bedeviled by the Adults in the room, who told him he couldn’t do certain things. He was told by the Secretary of Defense that he could not use the U.S. military against his own citizens. He eventually got rid of all of the Adults because they opposed his game of “kick me.” In his second term, he has staffed the entire government with Children aka loyalists, who are wearing signs that say “Please Don’t Kick Me,” and are surprised when they keep getting kicked. Trumps loves to kick these people when they get out of line. Similarly, when Columbia University acted like a Child in settling with Trump, and asked Trump to please stop kicking them, Trump took the opportunity to keep on kicking. He has no respect for any individuals or institutions that act like Children because he enjoys kicking them.

The media keeps reporting on Trump’s activities as if he were an Adult. In order for them to truly grasp what is going on, they need to think about Trump as the angry Parent, or Trump as the compliant Child. Pretending that he is an Adult is just setting themselves up for a game of “kick me.”

May 28, 2025

Last night, over 4,000 Harvard alumnae came together on a “Call to Arms” Zoom call to discuss what the Trump administration is trying to do to Harvard and higher education, and what you can do about it. The guiding philosophy of the Trump administration is “ yes, we know, but what are you going to do about it?” Harvard has taken a stand on behalf of itself, it’s alumnae, it’s faculty, it’s researchers, it’s international students, and it’s employees. As President Alan Garber said in his second Commencement Address, “The best way to acknowledge Harvard — and what this time has meant to you — is to advocate for education. Everything we might achieve — morally, scientifically, technologically, and even economically — is grounded in knowledge. Where else are you more likely to find a path to knowledge and all that it unlocks for humanity than in education?”

Harvard has had to endure an endless and mindless barrage of attacks from the federal government. Research grants have been rescinded, international students have been threatened, federal contracts have been terminated all under the guise of fighting anti-semitism. The potential harm to Harvard is in the billions of dollars. As many speakers pointed out, this has absolutely nothing to do with dealing with anti-semitism on campus. Harvard, like many educational institutions, started taking steps over a year ago to correct flaws in the system. Rather, this has everything to do with trying to destroy an institution that would not kowtow to Trump’s baseless claims and demands. If Trump were truly interested in fighting anti-semitism, this is not how one would go about it. Anti-semitism is a Trojan horse for controlling free speech and intellectual curiosity to make way for a radically conservative, Project 2025 agenda, whose aim it is to control thought and speech.

The call was moderated by noted syndicated columnist, a son of Fall River, and Harvard alumnus, E.J. Dionne. He made the point that Harvard should be flattered and honored that Trump has decided to make Harvard an example. Autocrats attempt to take down the lead dog in an industry, whether it be in education, the media, the law and so on as they wage their fake wars, believing that, if they can get the top entity to acquiesce, it would only be a matter of time before every other entity took a knee. Harvard is literally taking one for the higher education team. Legal experts on the call believed that the attacks on Harvard are baseless, frivolous, and without legal merit and will be turned aside by the courts, but damage will have been done, and that is the point. Endless lawsuits are a drain on time and financial resources.

However, if you feel that you don’t have a dog in this fight, or worse, you are quietly happy that those snarky, snot-nosed people at Harvard had it coming, think again. Maura Healy, Governor of Massachusetts and Harvard alumna, discussed the impact that the Trump attacks will have on the state of Massachusetts. For starters, Harvard is the fourth largest employer in the state. As Harvard goes, so goes the state. Federal cuts could set off a wave of unemployment that goes well beyond Harvard. Cuts could blow a hole in the Massachusetts economy that would have to be made up in other ways, be it higher taxes, reduced services, and less funding to local communities. The state would see its unemployment expenses rise. Unemployment affects housing. If demand is reduced, prices go down, and houses remain empty. Restaurants go out of business. Fenway Park is half full.

Harvard is the greatest intellectual engine in the world. People come here from all over the world to study, do research, and start companies. Companies hire people, and pay taxes. There are already signs that many of these students are making plans to study overseas, and take their creative and entrepreneurial talents with them because they no longer feel comfortable here. Who could blame them as ICE agents scoop up international students? Without this engine of intellectual growth, Massachusetts becomes, I dare say, Florida.

Harvard alumnae have been asked to open their wallets. Many alumnae, who felt Harvard already had too much money and/or didn’t agree with some of its policies, are giving for the first time in years. I have spoken to non-alumnae who have made contributions because they believe this battle for the soul of higher education is that important. Alumnae and other others need to make themselves heard either through peaceful protest, contacting their elected representatives, writing letters to the editor, voting, and writing opinion pieces for local newspapers. Trump may have poked the bear.

May 22, 2025

The phrase “Let them eat cake” is a well-known quote attributed to Marie Antoinette. It’s said to have been her response when informed that the starving French peasantry had no bread. The phrase is often used to illustrate a privileged individual’s indifference to the struggles of ordinary people. The phrase emerged during a period of significant famine and social unrest in France leading up to the French Revolution. According to the story, Marie Antoinette was told that the poor were starving and could not afford bread. Her response, according to the legend, was to suggest they eat cake. The phrase became a symbol of Marie Antoinette’s perceived callous disregard for the suffering of her subjects, and contributed to the growing resentment against the monarchy. 

I thought the most callous thing I would ever see from an American politician was Donald Trump’s throwing of rolls of paper towels at Puerto Ricans, who had just suffered the immensely destructive force of Hurricane Maria in 2017. Hurricane Maria created a huge humanitarian crisis on the island, and caused $90B in damage. And Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth. Puerto Ricans are not the enemy. Now we have Trump’s instantly, infamous quote about letting them eat dolls. To be exact, at a cabinet meeting, Trump said, “Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, you know? And maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally.” Trump effectively shot 28 dolls on Fifth Avenue, and no one made a peep as he suggested. These are the same people who were ready to impeach Joe Biden over a dozen eggs. This was just before the announcement that Trump had agreed to accept a $400,000,000 airplane as a gift from the country of Qatar. Trump’s supporters have been twisting themselves in verbal knots to justify what is happening. The excuses being made to justify the plane are embarrassing. I would like to believe that even people who don’t follow politics will easily understand graft and corruption, which sounds a whole lot worse to me than the holy trinity of waste, fraud and abuse.

Trump justified his actions by quoting the famous golfer Sam Snead, which I objected to not as a patriotic American, but as a golf rules official. According to Trump, Sam Snead’s motto was, “When they give you a putt, you pick up your ball, say ‘thank you very much’ and walk to the next hole. A lot of people are stupid. They say ‘no, no, I insist on putting it.’ Then they putt it, they miss it.” I don’t know if Sam Snead ever said that, but I do know, according to the rules of golf, that a putt once conceded cannot be refused. You don’t have the option of being stupid. If you are going to use an inane and insane analogy, Mr. Trump, at least know the rules. However, what else would you expect from the person some have dubbed the “Commander in Cheat?”

Many people have said that cruelty is the point. Why else would you separate families at the border, and deport alleged criminals to foreign prisons without any evidence and due process? The right makes the argument that these episodes are just collateral damage in the war against illegal immigration. I don’t recall Congress authorizing us to go to war. Illegal migration has dropped, but is this how we want to be remembered? Are the benefits we gain enough to compensate us for the loss of our dignity and our souls? As it is with many things in Trump world these days, the Trumpists know that what they are doing is illegal and unconstitutional. But, in the vernacular of the playground, they say “what are you going to do about it.” Given the current imbalance of power, there is not much anyone can do about it. However, what goes around comes around. Hopefully, Madame Defarge is keeping up with her knitting.

May 15, 2025

In 2010, liberal political commentator Mark Shields and conservative political commentator David Brooks squared off in the Springfield Public Forum’s 70th season. However, if you were looking for a WWE, Texas-style cage death match where two people enter and only one leaves, you would have been sorely disappointed. This was 2010, after all, which seems like light years away. As it turned out, they had a civil exchange of ideas, and agreed on many of the subjects they covered. How quaint? This was not the “60 Minutes” Point-Counterpoint, bare knuckles segment featuring news commentators Shana Alexander and James J. Kilpatrick, who were themselves parodied on SNL by Jane Curtain and Dan Aykroyd.

They agreed that the United States will not begin to solve its political problems until “the me generation becomes the we generation.” Shields said that the old JFK line “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country “ was not in vogue. Brooks said Democrats lost the mid-terms because Barack Obama prioritized a national healthcare bill over jobs creation. In all, they debated the issues of the day from their respective points of view. They agreed on some, and disagreed on the others, but they didn’t attempt to villify or debase each other.

Recently, I enjoyed a cocktail with an old and dear friend. He had his Old-Fashioned and I had my whiskey. He would probably describe himself as a center right Republican, I would describe myself as a center left Democrat. Whether these are accurate descriptions or not is a discussion for another time. We agreed that there were still a lot of things we could agree on, and that Donald Trump was not the answer to any of our concerns.

We agreed that no one is for abortion. Because you are not “pro-life” doesn’t mean you are anti-life or pro death. Abortion is the unfortunate resolution to a very difficult situation. We both supported a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions with information provided by her family, her doctor, and her faith.

We agreed that transgender athletes pose some very difficult issues for high school, college and professional athletics. Neither one of us was comfortable with the current situation. However, we also agreed that it did not rise to the level of a national emergency where the President of the United States has to weigh in for what can only be described as nefarious purposes. These athletes do not deserve to be demonized. The Governor of Maine does not need to be threatened. The U.S. military does not need to be dragged in. There are more humane ways of dealing with people struggling with sexual identity.

We agreed that one of the biggest dangers facing Christianity is Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalism is a form of religious nationalism that focuses on promoting Christian views in order to achieve prominence or dominance in political, cultural, and social life. Christian Nationalism prioritizes the welfare of its adherents over the welfare of all. JD Vance recently claimed that the teachings of the Catholic Church allow you to ignore the plights of people the farther away they are from your sphere of influence. Fortunately, Pope Leo XIV disagrees.

We also agreed that no one is for illegal immigration. This is a canard promoted by MAGA Republicans to claim that Democrats are soft on immigration. What differentiates the parties is how to solve the problem. People can agree that illegal immigration is an important issue that needs to be dealt with, but can have honest disagreements as to how to solve the problem.

Similarly, we agreed that serious people cannot dispute the fact that climate change is a scientifically-proven fact. However, we also agreed that serious people can have serious and genuine disagreements about what to do about it. Some people may favor mitigation, some people may favor reparations, some people may favor renewable alternatives, and some people may favor “drill, baby, drill.”

Lastly, we would both most-likely characterize ourselves as fiscal conservatives. I think we would agree that the fiscal path that the United States is on is at some point unsustainable. The Republican budget promises another $4T in debt over the next ten years. I for one am not opposed to looking at the social safety net and making changes where change is warranted, but I am certainly opposed to any changes if the other side is not willing to pay its fair share in taxes.

P.S. The Springfield Public Forum is the only remaining, free lecture series of its kind in the United States. In the spirit of full disclosure, we both served on the board of the Springfield Public Forum at one time or another, which is a terrific organization, unique to Springfield, and worthy of public support. Hopefully, that is something everyone can agree on.

May 1, 2025 (M’aidez, M’aidez)

When Trump authorized his masked thugs from ICE to pick up unsuspecting students on the streets of New York and Medford, I was outraged, but I knew that ICE was not looking for me. My papers are in order if I just knew where to find them. Like the vast majority of Americans, I am opposed to sending innocent people to foreign, one-way, torture prisons in El Salvador without due process. When Trump’s tariff policies blew a hole in my retirement account, I knew I was in good company because millions of Americans were impacted. I didn’t take it personally, but I do think about all the eggs I could have purchased at Big Y with the money that I had lost. However, now it is getting personal. Trump is going after my Alma Mater probably because his father couldn’t get him in like Jared Kushner’s father.

The Trump administration announced on April 11th that it would withhold from Harvard University $2.2 billion in grants already awarded and a $60 million contract unless Harvard permitted the federal government to control the university’s admissions and intellectual content. In response, Harvard is suing the government for violating the First Amendment and overstepping its legal authority under the guise of addressing antisemitism. The complaint notes the “arbitrary and capricious nature” of the government’s demands, and says, “The government has not—and cannot—identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation.”

University president Alan Garber explained that the freeze would jeopardize research on “how cancer spreads throughout the body, to predict the spread of infectious disease outbreaks, and to ease the pain of soldiers wounded on the battlefield.” He continued: “As opportunities to reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease are on the horizon, the government is slamming on the brakes. The victims will be future patients and their loved ones who will suffer the heartbreak of illnesses that might have been prevented or treated more effectively. Indiscriminately slashing medical, scientific, and technological research undermines the nation’s ability to save American lives, foster American success, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation.”

Harvard is suing the departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, Education, Energy, and Defense, the General Services Administration (GSA), the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, NASA, and the leaders of those agencies.

Harvard did not sweep anti-semitism concerns under the table. Like many other universities who have not experienced significant student protests since the Viet Nam era, they were caught off guard. In response, Harvard commissioned two studies, one on anti-semitism on campus, and one on anti-Muslim behavior. The lengthy reports were just issued with a list of recommendations on what Harvard can do to address these issues to make Harvard a more inclusive and tolerant place for students and faculty of all persuasions. They also developed a “battle plan” for what is and is not acceptable behavior regarding student protests. Harvard is dealing with these difficult issues. What is Trump doing other than fanning the flames of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim behavior?

Harvard has the resources to defend itself, and the ability to form a formidable coalition with other major universities to fight the attempted intellectual takeover by the Trump administration. This battle is not just about Harvard. It is a battle for the soul of liberal education, which has made America the preferred destination for the best and the brightest for generations. We are at risk of destroying the engine of innovation that drives American excellence.

But what about those who do not have a $53B endowment and generous alumni to help them out? It gets very personal when Trump, the schoolyard bully, comes after you, and you don’t have the ability to fight back. Recently, right here is Springfield, six AmeriCorps Fellows were terminated because of cuts from the Trump administration even though half of their cost was subsidized locally, which was a good deal for everyone. AmeriCorps serves underprivileged and under resourced youth in the Springfield area and throughout the country. AmeriCorps’ college access and success programs were shut down immediately with no warning. “There is no doubt in my mind that fewer students will go to college in the coming years if these programs terminate,” said one regional director. In addition, under current Republican proposals, student loans would cost more, and fewer people would be eligible for Pell Grants, which provide vital financial aid to lower-income households. This is Trump’s idea of affirmative action. For a whole lot of people, this is going to get very personal.

March 30, 2025

Someone once said, “We fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” Truer words have never been spoken. The strategy of this administration is to dominate the news cycle every day with a blizzard of mis- and disinformation to keep the media chasing the scandal du jour while Trump goes blithely about his business exacting revenge, deconstructing the government, destroying democracy, and personally enriching himself and his family. To date, Democrats attempts to counter such behavior have been anemic at best. Maybe the million or so people who showed up for the “Hands Off!” protests around the country is a start, but we need more.

Trump has done a very effective job of neutering many sectors of our society. The Associated Press was banned from the White House for not acknowledging the Gulf of America, and there was barely a peep from the rest of the press pool. Major law firms have had to agree to major settlements with the government under threat of losing their ability to try cases in Federal courts. Competing law firms have responded by trying to poach clients and lawyers. Columbia, Harvard and other universities have been under attack without much of a pushback from fellow administrators. Even the artful Dodger himself, Mookie Betts, couldn’t resist. He will be joining the rest of his team at the White House as they give legitimacy to a man, who would have no problem demanding that Major League Baseball expunge Jackie Robinson from its records because he was a D.E.I. hire. There are countless other examples, but the fact remains that people and institutions are afraid, and do not know how to appropriately respond without jeopardizing their organizations and their employees.

It is going to take collective, coordinated and unselfish actions by a lot of disparate groups to bring this government to its senses. John Lennon sang “Power to the People,” and that is what it will take. The government does not have unlimited resources. We can overwhelm the government’s efforts to fight battles on too many different fronts at the same time. Dictators and empires in history have lost wars and territory by over reaching, and outrunning their supply lines. The Roman Empire overextended its boundaries, and collapsed. Hitler tired to fight a war on two fronts.

Columbia University has been under siege for alleged anti-semitism. The Trump administration has threatened to withhold $400 million in funding. One of its students was picked up, and detained without due process. Other students have been targeted. The University President resigned. A Tufts PH.D. student from Turkey was snatched in broad daylight by masked ICE officers. Harvard is next in the crosshairs. Universities are being threatened with lack of funding for pursuing DEI initiatives, and not restraining free speech. Every university should feel threatened. There should be a concerted and coordinated effort by every college and university to deluge the Department of Justice with endless lawsuits. The DOJ needs to be brought to a screeching halt in the same way that Trump has abused the legal system his entire life. Students from all over the country need to protest. They need to create a national educational crisis because that is what we have right now.

Trump is effectively shutting down the Department of Education. The Department of Education oversees education policy, administers federal funding for education programs, and ensures equal access to education, including enforcing civil rights laws. There should be a national walkout by all teachers and administrators, supported by parents, until these actions are overturned.

Every law firm that has business with Federal government should support the few law firms that have been singled out. I think it is shameful that the biggest and most prestigious law firms in our country, with their thousands of the high-powered attorneys, are afraid of going up against Trump and his attorneys, who probably couldn’t get hired by those same firms. The firms should black list any attorney working in the Trump administration. They should file countless law suits until the administration cries “Uncle Sam.”

All members of the media should rally in support of the Associated Press. They should demand that the AP’s credentials be reinstated, or else stage a major boycott of White House events. All stockholders should demand that the CEO’s of the company’s they are invested in voice their displeasure with tariffs. Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan said Trump’s tariffs will boost inflation, and slow the U.S. economy. Michael Bloomberg has been a vocal critic. We need more CEO’s to step up. Other affected groups need to respond accordingly. And yes, Congress, the mid-terms are only 19 months away.

March 10, 2025

Now that Trump and Vance have thoroughly disgraced the office of the Presidency by denigrating a loyal ally, who puts his life and the lives of his fellow countrymen on the line every day in their battle for freedom and democracy, it is a good time to postulate how Trump would have handled other seminal moments in our history, and how his actions or inactions might have impacted who were are today as a country. Academics call this contrafactual history. For this exercise, I have asked Professor of Politic Science Emeritus from Mt. Holyoke College, Vincent Ferraro, to add his expertise, and keep this discussion and me from going off the rails.

Everyone loves a good, time machine story. The most famous one is “The Time Machine,” a novella by H. G. Wells, set in 1895, about a Victorian scientist, who travels to the year 802,701. Many episodes of Rod Serling’s TV series, “Twilight Zone,” dealt with the perils of time travel. Killing Hitler and stopping the Lincoln assassination are two, time-tested, time travel tropes. What-if’s beg the imagination. We are going to place Donald Trump in seminal moments in our nation’s history, and speculate, based on his words and deeds, as to how he would have handled these situations. This “What-if” analysis asks how history might have changed if Trump was making these key decisions, and offers plausible alternatives.

What-if Trump had been President in 1861 instead of Abraham Lincoln?  Trump once said “The Civil War was so fascinating, so horrible. So many mistakes were made. See, there was something I think could have been negotiated, to be honest with you. I think you could have negotiated that. All the

people died, so many people died. You know, that was the disaster.”   The Civil War was unquestionably a great tragedy, but slavery was an abomination. Moreover, slavery had been debated and negotiated since the founding of the Republic—it was enshrined in the Constitution.  What kind of deal would Trump have favored that others failed to see?  Would we all want to live in a society that considered some human beings to be nothing more than personal property?

But Trump is not necessarily a decisive alternative to some of American history. What-if Trump had been President instead of Andrew Jackson?  Native Americans would still have been forced to move from Georgia to Oklahoma via the Trail of Tears.  What-if Trump had been President instead of Herbert Hoover?  The Great Depression would have still occurred, but it would have been much deeper as Trump relied on “trickle down economics.”

What-if Trump had been President instead of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1939? Demonstrating her profound ignorance, Representative Marjorie Taylor Green described Trump as the “founding father” of the America First movement at the Republican National Convention in July 2024.  America First was the cry of the Know-Nothing Party in the 1840s–a movement to prevent the immigration of Catholics in the US.  It was further used by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s and was the basis for the Immigration Act of 1924 which restricted immigration. Trump was not even alive when the movement resurfaced in 1940 to oppose American participation in World War II and was populated by many antisemites who approved of Hitler’s racial policies.  If Trump had been President at the time, Hitler likely would have defeated Great Britain and all of Europe would have been ruled by ruthless white supremacists.  And perhaps Trump would have considered them all to be “very fine people”. 

In a debate with Republican Vice Presidential candidate Dan Quayle, Lloyd Bentsen famously said, “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.” The same could be said of Donald Trump. What-if Donald Trump was faced with the Cuban Missile Crisis? Given his inexplicable embrace of a Russian adversary and the comments he has made about Gaza, a case could be made that Trump would have ceded Cuba to the Russians and allowed nuclear missiles to be deployed in exchange for minimal concessions, perhaps beach rights, a golf course, and a few casinos in Havana.

Kennedy and his Vice President, Lyndon Johnson, ushered in the Great Society. The goals of The Great Society set of programs were to end poverty, reduce infant mortality, improve education, expand voting rights, end discrimination, protect the environment, and rejuvenate cities. Key programs were Medicare, Medicaid, and The Voting Rights Act among others. What-if Trump had been JFK’s Vice President. The entire Great Society platform would have been bottled up in Committee. Trump favors tax cuts for the rich, endorses non-immunization for children, supports the destruction of the Department of Education, refuses to support unfavorable election results, is expunging anti-discrimination efforts from all departments and websites, and wants to eliminate Obamacare and Medicaid, and reduce Medicare. And, I think it would be safe to say that there would be no Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Lastly, it would be interesting to speculate What-if Trump had been President when Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy came to the White House in stead of Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. Rather than being welcomed with open arms as a hero, Trump would probably have used the opportunity to extort Ukraine for its mineral rights in exchange for dubious security guarantees. Some might call this a quid pro quo. Trump would have berated the Ukrainian President for not being dressed properly, castigated him for being disrespectful, accused him for not being grateful, slammed him for not saying thank you, accused him of being the aggressor, accused him of being a dictator, and then have him thrown out of the White House.

Arguably, the United States and the world would be a far different place today if Trump and his Project 2025 political philosophy had been in place at critical moments in our nation’s history. Unfortunately, we are seeing this being played out in real time. Hopefully, we won’t have to speculate What-if many years from now.

February 28, 2025

Everything about me screams three-quarters of a century except my right knee, which is brand new and just plain screaming. Fortunately, I got plenty of oxycodone from a Rush Limbaugh estate sale so I am managing the pain. (I know. You can’t believe I worked politics into such a joyous occasion. On the other hand, I can’t believe Donald Trump has stolen ten years of my life.) Anyway, anyone of my vintage, which went bad a long time ago, should feel free to sing along to…

They say it’s your birthday
It’s my birthday too, yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you

Ah
Ah
Ah
Come on
Come on

Yes we’re going to a party party
Yes we’re going to a party party
Yes we’re going to a party party

I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (Birthday)
I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Dance yeah

Oh
Come on

I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (Birthday)
I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Oh dance! Dance

They say it’s your birthday
Well it’s my birthday too, yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, life goes on, brah

February 20, 2020

He’s back. Trump has been in office for one month as of today. It looks like promises made, promises kept to me. Some people call this creative destruction, but they would be only half right. I guess you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette, but, with the price of eggs, who can afford to. Actually, it’s not the price of eggs that concerns me, it’s the availability. With that said, here is a recap of the first month if you are keeping score at home. Go Red Sox.

Trump pardons the January 6th violent criminals and others.

Trump discusses the relocation of 2MM Gazans to make way for the Trump Riviera.

Trump discusses annexing Greenland, and taking its valuable minerals.

Trump wants to make Canada the 51st state, leading Canadians to boo the National Anthem.

Trump wants to take back the Panama Canal because the Chinese are making inroads. I wonder why that is.

Trump is in negotiations to cede the 20% of Ukraine that the Russians illegally took in exchange for nothing. He blames Ukraine for the Russian invasion, and calls Zelenskyy a dictator. Europeans are calling him “Putin’s Poodle,” which does a disservice to poodles.

Trump wants 50% of Ukraine’s minerals as a quid pro quo. Sound familiar?

Trump allows Elon Musk and his DOGE team of twenty-year old racists to access extremely private information at the Treasury and the IRS.

Trump disbands USAID putting people all over the world in life-threatening situations.

Plane crashes in Toronto. Trump blames Pete Buttigieg, and then lays off FAA workers.

Trump lays off the IRS workers responsible for collecting billions of dollars in taxes owed by the wealthy.

Trump’s tariff proposals have created havoc in foreign governments and Wall Street.

Trumps shutters the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the organization responsible for returning billions of dollars to consumers.

JD Vance aligns the Trump administration with far right, neo-Nazi parties in Germany.

Elon Musk celebrates the Inauguration with two Nazi salutes.

Trump nominates the least qualified cabinet in history, which Includes Gaetz/Bondi, Hegseth, Gabbard, McMahon, RFK, Jr., Noem, Patel, and Stefanik

Trump renames the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. The AP is banned from the White Press press corps and Air Force One for not obeying. Mexico sues Google.

Trump seeks to eliminate DEI from every organization in America.

Trump announces major investments in AI actually arranged by the previous administration.

Trump family members benefit greatly from trading in cryptocurrencies. Small investors get the shaft.

Trump admits he can’t bring down prices. Eggs disappear from shelves.

Trump blames Gavin Newsom for California fires, and falsely claims he diverted water to SoCal.

Trump uses military plane to send migrants back to Columbia, a violation of an agreement that was already in place.

Trumps ousts independent Inspectors General without notice.

Trump promotes a Trump 2024 charm bracelet, and Trump crypto coin.

Immigrants stop showing up for court, work and school.

Trump assaults birthright citizenship

Trump threatens freeze on all federal grants, causing chaos.

Trump goes after transgender troops in the military, and transgender athletes.

Elon Musk says federal judges should be impeached.

FBI Agents sue over retaliatory dismissals.

Climate data is purged from governmental websites. Report on climate change is blocked.

Trump set to open more Federal lands to drilling, and kill renewable energy.

Trump makes massive cuts to NIH research funding, hurting Red States as well as Blue.

Trump suggests he may not leave.

The DJIA gets a 2% “Trump Bump.” Big whoop.

Trump makes a deal with Eric Adams to keep Adams out of jail. He then stops congestion pricing in Manhattan. Adams agrees to cooperate with deportations.

Just in…measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, or is that New America?

Donald Trump appoints himself Chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It will be renames The Grand Ol’ Opry North. The JFK Library in Boston closes, then reopens, because of threatened funding cuts.

Federal Reserve sees risks of higher inflation ahead due to tariffs, deportations, and consumer demand.

February 15, 2025

Unbeknownst to me, the Foreign Policy Association has been in existence since 1918. It is dedicated to inspiring the American public to learn more about the world. It aims to spread global awareness and understanding of US foreign policy and global issues by informing, inspiring, and engaging with the public in community and educational forums. In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

The Foreign Policy Association accomplishes its mission via its program, Great Decisions. It is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program model involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching a video, and meeting in a discussion group to discuss the most critical issues facing America today. The discussions are moderated by an expert in the field. They are open to all, and welcome all points of view as long as they are respectful. I attended my first discussion group recently, which was held at the Storrs Library in Longmeadow. The topic was “America at a Global Crossroads.”

American foreign policy faces a crossroads today. To summarize, “The world economy is threatened by rising economic nationalism and protectionism, and a retreat from globalization. Growing transnational threats, such as climate change and pandemic disease, call out for new forms of cooperation, but cooperation is halting at best. The liberal internationalist system of rules and institutions, underwritten for decades by the U.S. and other major democracies, seemingly triumphant at the end of the Cold War, has weakened and fragmented.”

We are seeing this tension being played out in real time as we transition from a Biden administration that championed alliances and liberal democracies to a Trump administration that is all too willing to walk away from historic, international partnerships and organizations. Clearly, the Bidens and the Trumps have starkly different views of the world, and we really don’t know which view is going to prevail.

The Trump orthodoxy is “America First”, which is a slogan intentionally or unintentionally copied from a similar movement in the 1930’s. The “America First” movement can trace its history to the Ku Klux Klan, William Randolph Hearst, Henry Ford, and Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh believed that Hitler was a revolutionary. America First offered up a deadly combination of racism, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia, leading to a platform of isolationism prior to World War II. They shut down their campaign after Pearl Harbor.

“America First” bases its view of the world on a stark reality. It could be called Realism or Realpolitik. Realpolitik is a system of politics or principles based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations. In this theory of world affairs, everything revolves around the state. The goal is the defense of the state by any means necessary. The ends justify the means. Territorial integrity is everything. It is all about sovereignty, and political autonomy. In their view, international agreements, treaties, and organizations encumber the ability of the state to conduct its own business in the manner it deems best for the state. Trump and the current America First movement seek a sharp break with the American tradition of liberal internationalism. They seek to undermine NATO, the WHO, the IMF, the World Bank, the International Court, and the United Nations. They walked away from the Trans Pacific Partnership, the Paris Accords, and the Iran nuclear deal. They look to extricate the U.S. from Ukraine by ceding territory to the Russians. Taiwan may be on the table.

“America First” is vying for primacy with the current, liberal international order. In this context, liberal is not meant to be the opposite of conservative, but is an historic tradition that has its roots in The Enlightenment and the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Constitution believed in the “inalienable” rights of the individual. The Enlightenment demonstrated that scientific discoveries could lead to political power. The three pillars that tie all countries together who believe in liberal internationalism are (1) representative democracy and the right to vote, (2) market capitalism, and (3) the rule of law. The “Biden Doctrine” essentially maintained that our success as a country was best served through strategic military and economic alliances with like-minded countries. It was simply reasserting old-fashioned liberal democracy.

What happens next? The values of the Enlightenment have weakened in an age of social media and fake news. The basic features of modern liberalism – openness, rule of law, freedom of speech, rationality and science are not as firmly fixed in place. As these foundational values and assumptions weaken, the opportunities for authoritarianism and anti-liberalism grow stronger.