By Lafe Tolliver, Esq
Guest Column
“When reactionaries begin to redact your written history, it is only a matter of time before you are dismissed as of being of no consequence because there is no record of you.” Efal Revillot, 19th century Portuguese historian.
The Trump naysayers and political hacks have turned their racial phobias on the reduction and elimination of the voluminous records of people of color and their accomplishments in government, politics, history and culture.
The a-historical heathens such as Hegseth, Bondi, Miller and their fascist crew members are, with great relish, trying to obliterate and obfuscate and simply deny
records of herculean accomplishments of people like Harriet Tubman, The Tuskegee Airmen, Jackie Robinson and a plethora of others.
Their determined but devilish campaign is to forever taint and devalue the accomplishments of Black Americans and others who are not white but who for
hundreds of years have been an important component of American History.
Seemingly, Trump, always sounding like a fifth grade illiterate who has never been a
minimal student of American history, is now throwing broadsides at African-American history in the hopes that he can rile up his base to follow in his footsteps.
When you assess that white America has never been enthusiastic about cultures other than their own and when confronted with historical facts that were not taught in their educational circles, you can understand why people like Hegseth can throw mud at the famed Tuskegee Airmen and Jackie Robinson and famed military heroes and leaders.
However, Trump has yet to fully vent his anger, bitterness and slights, both real and imagined, at his social “betters” and society at large whom he contends have wronged him. Imagine a raging bull in the proverbial tea shop, throwing his bulk and horns against everyone that he remotely believes shunned him.
Even the legal system including both attacking attorneys and middle of the road
federal judges are experiencing his bullying threats and name calling simply because they swore an allegiance to the US Constitution and not to Trump.
To be able to exact his definition of pain and hurt on his perceived enemies, Trump has surrounded himself with characters and clowns whose first order of duty is allegiance to all things Trump, regardless of the law or custom or legal precedent.
Trump’s vitriol is now, like a cancer, spreading to the colleges and universities including vital medical facilities that conduct needed research on deadly diseases. He has already frozen hundreds of millions of dollars to top schools simply because he can.
No rationale or common sense, just pure spite which causes chaos in research and development and the instillation of fear that if they do not buckle under, there is more coming their way.
No, The GOP will not be the cavalry coming in to shoot the “Injuns” because they are frozen with fear that Trump and Musk may turn their political and economic canons on them by threats of being primaried.
Without being too much of an alarmist, America’s root systems of governance is being sorely challenged and the federal courts can only do so much if Trump, and he will, challenges their rulings and says to them, “Ok…stop me!”
Trump wants a high noon gunfight with the Supreme Court and he has purportedly instructed his minions to hold the line and to not back down from a slugfest.
If that were to happen, we will know in a few weeks, and if the GOP senators run for cover in their cloak rooms, Trump wins and democracy loses and then it is up to the people to man the ramparts and take on the fight.
Would Trump nationalize and call out the various state National Guards on demonstrating citizens? Why not. He simply declares it a national emergency and as he did in Lafayette Square, he will move with the military leaders that follow him and the results could be deadly.
How did we get here? Simple. Through a big lie that the media and the Congress did not continuously challenge 24/7. Trump saw weakness and as a bully, he punched at it with the hopes that the “scaredy” kids on the playground will run and not stand as one and fight back.
And now with the world economic order is dire chaos, Trump is determined to bring China to its knees so Trump can declare victory and set himself as the sole determiner of who pays tribute to him in the form of tariffs.
If both the stock and the bond market continue to show excess signs of stress, Trump will back off (he calls it a pause) because he has skin in the game.
To say we live in interesting times is an understatement!
Contact Lafe Tolliver at tolliver@juno.com