Week of 01/28/2019

Has Trump Finally Reached “That Point”?
– by David Matthews 2

There comes a point in every villain story where the villain makes a serious mistake that marks the end of their reign.  It’s that point where their hubris has exceeded them.  This can involve not only villains, but also heroes that become villains.

This actually happened several times in the BBC series “Doctor Who”.  In the “Tenth Doctor” run of David Tennant, the title character believed in “Water on Mars” that he could do anything because he was the last of the Time Lords.  He declared himself the “Time Lord Victorious”, the sole arbiter of how events should play out.  His arrogance and piety was so overwhelming that it drove a woman that he just saved to commit suicide just so the timeline can be corrected and to prove him wrong.  And, by the next adventure, he was dead and regenerated.  In the “Twelfth Doctor” run of Peter Capaldi, the title character returned to his home planet in “Hell Bent”, told the legendary ruler Rassilon to “get off my planet”, assumed control of the planet, then broke every law of time, including outright murdering another Time Lord, just so he could “save” his companion who was already dead.  He had to be reminded that, once again, he had gone too far.  He had to finally let go of his companion, and he knew it would also soon spell the end of him.

Historically, there were two different points in World War II where the villain leadership went too far.  Italy’s fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, actually reached “that point” early in the war when he basically sided with Germany.  They weren’t ready for another global conflict, but the arrogance of both Mussolini and the Fascist Party itself would not allow themselves to say no.  Mussolini himself firmly believed that nations are defined by their wars.  Fascism loves conflict.  So, of course, they needed to be in a conflict all of the time, even if they weren’t ready for one.  And, clearly, they weren’t ready for war when England and the United States came marching up their nation.

Then there’s Germany.  Nazi Germany.  As in Adolf Hitler.  Hitler was on an aggressive winning streak at the start of World War II.  He had conquered almost all of Europe, he had Great Britain on the ropes, and he managed to indoctrinate his way of thinking into every aspect of society.  He seemed to be unstoppable... until he made the mistake of invading the Soviet Union.  He thought that it would be a cakewalk, like all the other countries he beat.  He thought it would be so easy that his forces could do it in a few weeks.  He was wrong.  That was his “point” when people began to realize that he wasn’t “unstoppable”. 

That brings us to the man that made Godwin’s Law about referencing Hitler irrelevant: President Donald Trump.

Trump started 2019 with a self-inflicted partial shutdown of the federal government.  This was an act that he took deliberately, that he proudly boasted of, and even claimed that he would “own” it and that it would be the “Trump Shutdown”.  Of course, as with all things Trump does, he then tried to deflect the blame on the Democrats... you know, the party that had no power whatsoever at the time.  But too many people called him on that tactic for it to stick.

Trump orchestrated the partial shutdown to try to force the Congress into giving him $5.7 Billion (with a “B”) to pay for his ego-wall.  You know, the same ego-wall that he proudly boasted continually since 2016 that Mexico would pay for.  He wants American taxpayers to now pay for that ego-wall; that huge monument to his narcissism.  He tried last year to get that money from the GOP in exchange for the children he’s detaining, and just now he tried again to get that money for his ego-wall that was supposed to be paid for by Mexico by shutting down part of the government.  You know, the important part.  The part that deals with homeland security and safety inspections.  The stuff that actually keeps Americans safe.

The push for the ego-wall funding was an arrogant power-play by Trump and his red-hat supporters.  Trump had two years of unquestionable and unchallengeable GOP control in the Congress, and with members of Congress that could and did void any prior rules of restraint in order to give Trump what he wanted.  He could have gotten the funding for his ego-wall at any time during those first two years.  But he didn’t.

Trump wanted the Democrats to cave and give him the ego-wall money because it would demonstarte Trump’s dominance.  Just like his ego-wall, Trump’s shutdown was supposed to be a sign of his unstoppable might.  The Democrats have just regained control of the House of Representatives this January, and Trump wanted to prove to the world that he was still more powerful than them.

It was a thug move by a typical New York thug; a narcissistic con-man who thinks that he’s an “alpha-male”.  Show the Dems “who’s in charge”.  “Own the libs!”  That sort of crap.

Except that it didn’t work.

This past week, as of this column’s posting, Narcissist Trump agreed to a three-week continuing resolution that would end the Trump Shutdown, pay the 800,000 federal employees that were held hostage by Trump for his thug move, reopen the essential parts of the government that were stopped by the Trump Shutdown, and it would do so without any money for Trump’s ego-wall.  Not one penny for his ego-wall.  Not even a down-payment.

So the question being raised is... is this “that point”?

No, I’m not wondering if this is “that point” when Narcissist Trump’s own base will turn on him.  They are a lost cause.  Sure, his propagandists and water-carriers are pissed at him over this cave.  But his mind-numbed base will defend him to their deaths and to our deaths because they live in that fantasy world of divine entitlement that says that Trump is their champion given to them by God.  And, really, we see that same delusion with all of the Italians that still remember that Mussolini made the trains run on time, and the Germans that still want to bring back all the those evil policies without saying that other dreaded “N-word”.

No, I’m wondering if this is “that point” in the story where Trump has overplayed his hand and his own downfall begins.  Is this his “invade the Soviet Union” moment?  Is this his “Time Lord Victorious” and “Get off my planet” moment?  Is this his “gone too far” moment?

This commentator really hopes so.

Let’s get brutally honest here… we have been subjected to the antics of a narcissist and his gang of toadies, lackeys, ass-kissers, and enablers, carrying out activities that would make George Orwell re-write his classical stories of abusive societies if he were still alive today.  In many ways, they gave Nancy Pelosi the reason to be Speaker of the House again.  The Democrats could have backed someone else if not for the idea that Pelosi would supposedly put an out-of-control Trump and his gang of cronies in check.

And you know what?  Right now that appears to be working.  Trump’s thug move blew up in his face.  He counted on Pelosi and the Democrats to fold under the misery he was causing, and they didn’t.  He blinked first.  And, even worse, the reason why Trump blinked was for something petty.  It was because Pelosi denied him the House chamber for his precious State of the Union address as long as the government was shut down.

Think about that.  President Donald Trump did not care about the suffering of Americans under his tantrum.  He did not care about the possible threat to the economy because of his tantrum.  He did not care about the threat to America’s security because of his tantrum.  The only thing that caused him to relent, even temporarily, was because he was being denied his limelight. 

That is the person you elected, people.  Not some political savior delivered by God, but some vain and petty narcissist who only cares about himself and his own glory.

In case you are still wondering about which side you and Trump are on, here’s a little hint from someone who writes and publishes hero stories.  The true good guys recognize when they are going too far, and they pull back.  They realize that where they are headed is wrong and they try to make amends.  The villain will always think they will still prevail and that the ends always justifies the means.

I know where I stand in our real-world story.  And I know where Trump stands.  How about you?