No, the military isn’t going to support a Trump coup. I was shocked at how many of my big-city friends actually thought this was a possibility. It just shows you how disconnected this country and all of us really are from each other.
America has the toughest and sharpest (albeit a bit tired) military the world has ever seen. However, supporting politicians who refuse to let go of their political binky isn’t what the military does. The military is an extremely professional organization that follows law and order and the elected commander in chief.
In this case, love it or not, Biden won.
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No, the military isn’t going to support a Trump coup. I was shocked at how many of my big-city friends actually thought this was a possibility. It just shows you how disconnected this country and all of us really are from each other.
America has the toughest and sharpest (albeit a bit tired) military the world has ever seen. However, supporting politicians who refuse to let go of their political binky isn’t what the military does. The military is an extremely professional organization that follows law and order and the elected commander in chief.
In this case, love it or not, Biden won.
I’ve not shared my thoughts politically until now. I just had bigger problems to solve rather than strapping into my Interceptor for the online politically charged conversation that would resemble Mad Max Fury Road. But screw it, COVID has me bored. So allow me to gas up, and get ready to roll…
First, I actually supported Trump early on. Something about rolling the Trump hand grenade into the plush halls of DC power put a smile on my face. This appealed to me especially after watching 20 years of failed foreign policy play out and a lot of great — some of the Nation’s brightest — Americans die in faraway places that most can’t find on a map. Plus Trump would be better for business, I thought to myself.
After leaving service and reflecting on just how fucked up America’s foreign policy was, I was ready to upset the political apple cart.
I can’t count the times I asked high-level appointees and politicians, “What’s the strategic plan or purpose for Afghanistan? Why are we there? Really?” Yet, my question was always followed by blank stares.
I would come back home after my combat tour in Afghanistan to reflect on how conflicted America was to have to hold prisoners in Cuba in order to deny them their basic Constitutional Rights under law. That’s just not what we are supposed to do as Americans. We’re the good guys, right?
And we can point the finger at a lot of politicians on both sides of the aisle for allowing the existence of a system that gave birth to Guantanamo prison. Then there’s Obama’s foreign policy — a continuation of a hawkish Bush agenda — that approved the drone strike murder of a 16-year-old American boy visiting his grandparents in Yemen. His dad just happened to be a terrorist named Awlaki; that was his only crime.
When did we sink so low?
So yes, this is why I thought Trump would shake things up.
And did he ever.
It was a good wake-up call for America but not good for the American brand abroad and we’ve got our rebuilding work cut out for us.
Before you tie me to the internet train tracks, I’m not a huge fan of Biden either. How have we not overhauled a political duopoly (Republican and Democrat) that delivers us two 70-year-old white dudes who are incredibly out of touch with America? We can let them grill big tech about market share but these two parties essentially force two bad choices on us every four years.
If we can bank by phone we can sure as hell vote by phone. And a popular vote would let EVERY American cast a ballot. I can’t even vote because I’m a resident of Puerto Rico and we don’t have electoral votes as a commonwealth. Over three million Americans who reside in Puerto Rico can’t cast a ballot.
Time for a change.
If you can put your emotions aside for just a second, you can make a strong argument that the net result of a Trump presidency was positive: His presidency featured a multitude of improvements, like the reduction of combat troop fatigue, advances in racial equality and women’s workforce rights. The overall tally is WAY better than what it would have been today under a Hillary Clinton presidency. Let that sink in for a minute.
Contrary forces are sometimes very complimentary. The Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang explains this in great detail.
But another four years of Trump?
I’ll take a hard pass.
If you can put aside the political divide and your party of choice we can have a brief conversation in conclusion.
Leadership is a big factor for me. Trump is a shit leader. He’s not a team builder, he doesn’t lead by example, and he divides. He turns quickly on his own team and rules by fear and power. Remove his power and a 20-something Brandon and his SEAL teammates wouldn’t follow Trump into a hot tub with four naked adult women (sorry slick Bill, had to mention the adult part).
What he’s doing now is also terrible for our future. By stalling the presidential turnover, Trump is delaying much needed financial aid for Americans who need it most. This delay is also likely slowing down vaccine distribution thus putting more Americans at risk. Finally, it creates uncertainty for markets. It’s why a week ago a house I wanted to buy with 20 percent down is now requiring 30-40 percent down. Banks don’t like uncertainty.
The long-term damage to the economy, like a wildfire raging in California, is very real. Trump is fanning the flames to burn it all down so he can have a “told you so” moment. Economic levers that can be pulled now to lift up the Americans most in need have been tamped down by Trump being a sore fucking loser. History will not be kind to him for it. Just like when the Detroit Pistons were defeated by Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and, in a show of bad sportsmanship, refused to shake hands.
The election was close but Trump lost.
The Trump camp is likely making this really hard so he gets something in return after leaving office. One thing is sure: he’s a tough negotiator when it comes to serving his own family’s interests. Not being pursued legally after leaving office sounds about par for the course.
That backroom DC deal will likely be cut soon. But Navy SEALs removing him by force? This is unlikely to ever happen. Will some adult have to yank the White House binky from his mouth and push him out screaming and fussing? Possibly.
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