The legacy of the outgoing president (yes, he’s leaving) is to be the name most associated with prolific prevarication. “Trump” may well enter Roget’s Thesaurus as a synonym for “liar,” notably one whose lies are malicious and 180 degrees from the truth.
It is this person, however, of all persons on the Earth, to be nevertheless the one and only trusted authority for some 70 to 80 million Americans. This is someone with no medical training being trusted over world-class epidemiologists during a pandemic. This is someone with no grasp of natural science being trusted over nearly every climatologist concerning global warming. This is someone with a history of bankruptcies and lawsuits being trusted over Nobel-winning economists on matters of trade and finance. He could have had — and heeded — any of these experts, but he went into every issue with his mind already made up. All he wanted, in every case, was yes-men to echo his quirky beliefs.
And this is exactly what his followers wanted as well — a yes-president to echo their quirky beliefs. At least 70 million of the US electorate have no faith in the truth. They have learned to construct labyrinthine conspiracies to explain events that are beyond their understanding or control.
If power and wealth were not so concentrated in so few hands, and if government were less secretive and more open, accountable, and understandable to the general public, these poisonous conspiracy cults would have nowhere to take root.
I think, for the good of the country and the world, both political parties need to work to foster trust in our institutions, and stop playing the people’s understandable confusion and ignorance about the issues into a climate of cynicism and fear.
JEFFREY HOBBS, Springfield, Ill.
Congratulations to our President-elect, Joe Biden, and our Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris, on their comfortable, convincing victory over the truly terrible, corrupt racist Republican Trump-Pence ticket. America is back, and diabolical Donald Trump is done!
Like usual, dishonest Donald Trump and his dishonorable, dimwitted sycophants are lying nonstop to the American public, but fortunately a majority of Americans are nowhere near as delusional as Donald Trump. Biden-Harris won easily, and anyone not suffering from brain damage (or fascist brainwashing) is well aware of the fact that Democrats Joe Biden & Kamala Harris won.
But deranged Donald Trump continues to whine, cry, complain and compulsively lie to the point where the vast majority of Americans are just laughing at him. Traitor Trump is a plump chump who can’t stop lying, yet defeated Donald feigns outrage at not being believed. Donald, you’re a fool!
And more importantly, Donald Trump is now and will forever hereafter be known as America’s biggest loser and laughable liar. Oh yeah & by the way, enjoy prison, Trump!
JAKE PICKERING, Arcata, Calif.
While evangelicals account for about 17% of the population in the United States, they accounted for around 40% of the votes President Trump got.
Most of them also voted for him in 2016, even when they knew he bragged about grabbing women in their privates. Now, after four years of his racism, lies and supporting dictators and attacks on our US democracy, they still voted for him in 2020. Even if hundreds of thousands of deaths are attributed to his handling of the coronavirus, more than in President Bush’s illegal wars, it did not deter evangelicals who support the right to life.
Evangelicals claim that God made Trump president in 2016. This also suggests that God now corrected his mistake. The US and the World would be a better place without Trump and Evangelists taking a bulldozer to Christianity and democracy.
WARREN SCHEUNEMANN, Jackson, Wis.
Despite Biden’s huge win of six million popular votes, the Loser is promoting doubt in our election by filing frivolous lawsuits that irresponsibly claim systemic fraud without evidence. Worse, the Loser’s obstruction of cooperative transition weakens our national security and is sickening more people with COVID.
This happens because the Electoral College makes a few states important “swing states” where several thousand more votes going for the Loser would nullify the six million majority. Voters in Michigan shouldn’t have more sway than voters in your state. Every vote should count equally.
We’re living through self-inflicted damage from a three-million-majority vote being ignored in 2016, and a half-million shortfall electing the President in 2000. Let’s learn from these lessons.
The Electoral College could be abolished through constitutional amendment. An easier method is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, currently underway, as described at NationalPopularVote.com.
We can’t survive another non-majority election.
BRUCE JOFFEE, Piedmont, Calif.
The debate has started again as to whether the US Constitution should be amended in order to change the presidential election process. Some promote eliminating the Electoral College in favor of a direct popular vote for president, while others believe the Electoral College should remain unchanged. Just as compromise solved the initial problems of the framers so it is that compromise can solve this problem. The solution is to change the electoral votes to electoral points and reward each candidate a percentage of points based on the percentage of popular votes received in each state. This would eliminate the “winner take all” system, thus allowing for all the votes to count. A voter is more apt to believe their vote counted when a percentage of popular votes are taken into account rather than the “all or nothing” system currently in existence. Further, this new system would integrate the desire for a popular vote for president with the need for the individual states to determine who actually gets elected.
For 2020 multiplying the percentage of votes each candidate received (in each state) times the number of electoral votes {in each state} results in the following: Biden 267.23 and Trump 252.33. Multiplying the percentage of popular votes each candidate received {nationwide} times the total number of electoral votes {538} results in the following: Biden 274.92 and Trump 253.40.
JOE BIALEK, Cleveland, Ohio
You know, who is more believable, a nurse who is taking care of sick, COVID-19 people who are dying or a fat, bloviating prick who appears, after days of hiding, as a coward after the election, with no orange hair and no orange painted “raccoon face,” telling us “We’ll see” about the future of our country, with total disregard and disdain for anyone but himself? Wow! And then he goes golfing while people die, demonstrating and accentuating the chaos he alone has created and wants to perpetuate in this country.
Look, Trump is a vile, disgusting and phony human being.
MIKE EKLUND, Mercer, Wis.
I feel compelled to respond to Stephen E. Appell’s letter in the 11/1 TPP. I disagree with the characterization of Ted Rall’s thoughts as “irrational rantings.” His 11/15 article provided some historical examples of how leaders representing small liberal or progressive changes accomplish little real changes in a society. And Democrats, like Republicans, are too dependent on the money from the corporate world to push for, or allow, real changes.
And most importantly, since when are Progressives afraid of reading and considering another viewpoint? Ted Rall is needed — or TPP could become another lock-step source of “information “ like MSNBC and CNN.
There is room for different opinions- isn’t that what a free press and democracy thrive upon?
LYNETTE RYDER, Sedalia, Colo.
In “Previewing a Biden Presidency” [12/1/20 TPP], Ted Rall’s overall point regarding President-elect Biden’s challenges dealing with a Republican-controlled Senate is sound. However, factually speaking, Rall erred in citing Ronald Reagan as the last Republican President to face a body of Congress controlled by the opposition party. First of all, Reagan was greeted in 1981 by a Democratic House and a (newly-elected) Republican Senate, not the opposite as Rall stated. Surely Rall and TPP readers recall that Massachusetts Congressman Tip O’Neill was the House Speaker at the time. Secondly, George H.W. Bush, not Reagan, was the most recent incoming Republican President to face a Congress controlled by the opposite party. In Bush’s case, both House and Senate were Democratic.
Rall is also mistaken in stating that from Andrew Jackson onward, every incoming Democratic President has entered office with his party controlling both houses of Congress. In fact, Grover Cleveland was faced with a Republican-controlled Senate when his first term began in 1885. Granted, one can debate the historical significance (or lack thereof) of this tidbit, but facts are facts.
BILL COOKE, Rutland, Vt.
It is always with anticipation that I read the columns of Ted Rall. He pulls no punches and unflinchingly says the things that some feel should be left under the rug or better unsaid. Those columns are a challenge to our integrity as Progressives. I suspect some readers are distressed at what he has to say. However, we do not progress as Progressives compromising deeply held convictions that better all our lives. Rall’s writings ring true due to his meticulous exposition of the unpleasant facts in no uncertain terms. He holds the Clintons, Obama and Biden to account. I voted for none of them. They have untidy track records. Crumbs are better than nothing is cynical. The problems besetting the country are not solely due to Republicans. How do we clear the air? We had our candidates, but the DNC said “no” to promoting them and got a tough on crime centrist into pole position as vice president. After the Clintons, Obama and now Biden and their tough on crime (i.e. blacks) positions, if third-term-Obama succumbs to advanced dementia, things don’t look too good.
VINCENT LUTI, Westport, Mass.
Trump’s speechwriters pablum, And science defiance Shows he does have a pet / It’s a Fox-y reliance. Pardoning his playmates / Was simply outrageous;
Why couldn’t he pardon the kids in the cages?
Liars like lies / And racists his rants
Put a stop to this Donny-brook, he’s too big for his pants.
FLORA ORMSBY SMITH, Marblehead, Mass.
In the 11/15 issue, Robert Reich’s article on government’s interference on women’s bodies inspired me to send you this old joke:
A priest, a rabbi, and a Unitarian Minister walk into a bar. The bartender says to the priest, “Father, when does life begin?” The priest answers, “Life begins at conception, my son.”
The bartender next asks, “Rabbi, when do you say life begins?” The rabbi responds, “Life begins when the child is born and breathes in air.”
“How about you, Reverend” says the bartender to the Unitarian Minister. He thinks a minute and says, “Life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies.”
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
GRACE GAMBINO, Monroe Twp., N.J.
From The Progressive Populist, January 1-15, 2021
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