The recent arrest and mug-shotting
of ‘Trumpu’ says it all.
That was his fourth arrest over criminal
matters ( The first POTUS with such records) in the last 6 months but it was his first police booking photo,(
and released under a $200000 bond) the first US former president to be
held in prison. The investigation which
Fanni Willis, the Georgia prosecutor launched in early 2021 against the red-faced and aggressively looking, and acting, POTUS-45 and his acolytes yielded 41 charges housed in
a 98-page document. His co-conspirators include some of his associates who were
already ensnarled in several other criminal investigations and or convictions.
Trump and Co were charged of knowingly and willfully conspiring to change the
electoral outcome in his favour, conspiracy to impersonate a public officer,
forgery in the first degree and making, writing and filing false statements and
documents, with the most serious being violation of the RICO act, punishable by
up to 20 years under the bar. When all these are decoded, they boil down to
the attack on the Capitol on 6/1/21, unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy,
fueled by lies targeted at obstructing the
bedrock function of the US government… and in effect, engaging in a
criminal effort to block the peaceful transfer of Presidential power. Trumpu on
the whole faces a record 91 criminal charges all around falsifying business
records, illegal retention of classified documents (which violates the
espionage act), sexual assault and defamation, and fraud in his family business.
While Trump arrogantly and brashly
waves away all these iron-webs of criminality and scandals, it is noteworthy
that almost all his close associates are either behind bars, have been behind
bars, or a facing multiple charges and investigations, some of them happening while Trump was on the throne. These include Chris Collins, his
primary endorser (26 months in jail for security fraud, conspiracy, and false
statements); Paul Manafort, Campaign Chairman (80 months in prison for
financial misdeeds); Rick Gates( Deputy Campaign Chair: 36 months probation, 45 days in jail financial
misdeeds); Lt- Gen M Flynn,(First National Security Adviser- lying to FBI);
Rudy Guiliana( Legal adviser-
investigation for election finance issues) Duncan Hunter( second endorser-
misuse of $250000 campaign fund); Sam Patten, (lobbyist, 3 years jail on
probation, $5000 fine and 500 hours of community service for illegally funneling foreign moneys into
Trump’s inaugural committee); Bob Kraft( personal friend, donated $1m to
inaugural committee: misdemeanor charge in Florida, soliciting of prostitution)
George Nader( confidant;: child sex trafficking and child pornography); Imaaz Zuberi who donated $900k to Trump’s
inaugural committee( illegal foreign straw donation, violating foreign lobbying
laws, tax evasion and obstruction of Justice), Michael Cohen, personal attorney, (3 years in
prison for false statement to congress);
Roger Stone( false statement to congress, obstruction of justice, witness tampering), George Papadopoulos,
Trump’s campaign foreign policy adviser; two weeks jail term for lying to investigators,)
Lev Parnas & Igor Fruman(circumventing electoral laws). The elementary school adage says that when
show me your friends and I will tell you the kind of person you are and
that birds of the same feather flock together. However, ‘St.
Trump’ declares his innocence at the
rooftops , saying that all these are political witch-hunting and continues with
his campaigns for the next election.
Paul Manfort, Erique tarrio: Took the bullets for Trumpu!
Just the other day (Tuesday, 5/9/23)
Erique Tarrio, a former Proud-Boys leader was jailed for 22 years for his part in attack on Capitol, which was the major aspect
of the plot to elongate the tenure of Trump. But Trump keeps saying it
wasn’t me! Funny enough I know another fellow,
who has probably more damaging baggage than ‘St Trump’. But while Trump keeps
on dismissing his own with a wave of hand and unparalleled braggadocio the
other fellow just pretends as if nothing
is happening!
Our people say that whatever type of firewood that exists in a community should suffice for
its cooking needs, just as it is said that as you make your bed so you
shall enjoy it. But this mindset should
not hold with the position of Us in the
global ecosystem and the effects of what Trump did or failed to do across the
world. So how did US end up with St Donald nwa Trumpu? Was it
that they did not see all these shenanigans encapsulating him or that they wanted to have a real-man instead of a lily-livered Kenyan (Obama), or that Trump bought over key
individuals and institutions- as they have been doing in Nigeria and just did on an
industrial scale recently?
How could Americans not see Trump and all he stood( and still stands) for
when the son of man in far Ago-Iwoye saw
it even without looking at my mystical Pot? On 19/2/17, when he was still fresh in office, I gave my
verdict on Trump( Ik Muo: Trumpocracy: A new year, a new America and a new world ,
Guardian. 19/2/17) and here are some excerpts:
‘The
fact that a Trump won the nomination was bad enough, and that he even went on
to win despite his queer USP is shocking and indicates that the America that we
knew- in terms of culture, values and dispositions- was actually fake. So that
is what Americans wanted and that is what they have. But, it is a new America.
However, my attention took a quantum leap when I noticed the extent to which we
have exported our political practices to the U.S. In the first instance, it was
a replication of ‘Ekiti 2014’ in which Goliath (Fayemi), with his performance,
charisma, urbanity, suavity, grace, civility and good education was roundly
defeated by David ( Fayose), with a lot of question marks, ongoing trial for
corruption, rejection by Ekiti elites, disrespect for elders and lack of
Omoluabi ethos.( Ik Muo: Still on Ekiti Elections: Cooked Rice, Raw Rice
and the Trouble with Nigeria: BusinessDay, 29/7/14).
In
the U.S., Clinton with a most distinguished career in public service; an
unprecedented level of preparation for the job and compelling experience was
defeated by Trump who had a legendary penchant for self-love that hovers on the
borders of narcissism and an overall phenomenon that is at best a critique of
democracy, and especially the U.S. electoral college system, which ensured that
a candidate who lost by three million popular votes won an election (Femi
Mimiko, Guardian, 22/1/17). Trump won through the Electoral College contraption
which he had described as a ‘disaster for democracy” following Obama’s victory
over Mitt Romney in 2012. Other practices they imported from us include
accusation of rigging before the election, demonstrations after the results
were announced, recounting of votes, boycotting of the inauguration by the
opposition, gutter language campaign, and arguments targeted at the person
(argumentum ad hominine).
There
was also nostalgic comparison between the new and the old: Obama, a
conscientious and intelligent leader who espoused humane values, inspired
millions of Americans and successfully fulfilled some of his most significant
promises.(Times Editorial, 17/1/17), with impeccable manners, intelligence,
wonderful family values he stood for, (Guardian Life, 15/1/17, pL3) being
succeeded by Trump, with an unusual combination of ego, arrant lack of critical
experience, a particularly inappropriate temperament, and embarrassing
ignorance of the nuances of global diplomacy.
As
for the First Ladies, it has been class (Michelle, Doctor of law from Harvard
and Dean, Princeton University) and trash (Melania: a nudist model!). Americans
have also shown how they feel about this ‘profoundly un-American president’, as
indicated by the fact that within eight days, majority of Americans disapproved
of his presidency by a margin of 45% to 48% (Obama only lost majority approval
after 936 days). His inauguration was attended by only 900000 ( Obama, 2m+) and
marked by violent protests; his post inauguration rating was just 40% (Obama
had 78) while Americans regret that their values are at odds with a president
who ‘lies promiscuously, destabilizes the government with impulsive,
discriminatory, and inhumane policies backed up with jarring firings, and
cannot allow his White House to apologise or admit error under any
circumstances’.
He
has also departed from American traditions in that while Lincoln proclaimed
‘charity for all and with malice toward none’, Trump offers ‘charity for
none and malice toward all except Russia’ (Jonathan Alter, The Daily
Beast, 1/2/17). The ‘demagogic’ campaigner who executed a ‘hostile takeover’ of
Whitehouse had delivered the ‘most dreadful inaugural address’ at the most
‘ominous inauguration day’ in U.S. history that is ‘leading America away from
the world’ and marks the ‘end of the American century’. Like Nigerian
politicians, he is bent on rubbishing Obama’s policies, starting with Obamacare
and strangely he is probing the election which he ‘won’. He has appointed his
fellow billionaires and his in-law into his government, decided to retain his
massive business empire and had acted in such strange ways that three
professors of psychiatry requested President Obama to conduct ‘a full medical
and neuropsychiatric evaluation’ on Donald Trump’s mental health because they
believe he is suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Trump runs an
‘Abnormal Presidency’ and his America only’ declaration has led to tumbling of
stocks and Dollars.
His
difference from Nigerian politicians is that he is delivering the queer change
he promised. We also have a new world in which America, the cornerstone global
world and free trade is now under Trump, doing everything to destroy and
destabilize the world. As at now, nobody is sure of anything under a president
who deliberately disrupts the world (Robbin Wright, New Yorker Magazine,
17/1/17), works with aids who openly disagree with him on Iran, NATO, Russia
and Japan, and probably enjoys the palpable nervousness in European capitals.
He has gone ahead with the Mexico wall and even wants Mexico to contribute; he
has shut out most of the Muslim world though he is accused of excluding
countries where he has interest. He is at war with NATO, UN, EU the media and
in particular, CNN, fellow republicans, immediate past president, and market
forces and is also facing revolt from corporate America as exemplified by FORD.
He is driven by a transactional mentality to U.S. foreign policy and many of
his ideas disparage the principles, institutions, and alliances central to U.S.
foreign policy.
Not many expected this turn of event but ‘It
is when people are saying how quiet and peaceful it is, that sudden destruction
falls on them as suddenly as labour pains come on a pregnant woman, and there
is no escape. (1 Thessalonians,5:3) Trump has hatred for others and appeared to
have read Haman letter advising King Ahasuerus to do away with certain
ill-disposed people unique in kind, who behave in such a way as to obstruct the
form of government that leads to general good, hostile to our interests, commit
most heinous of crimes, endangering the stability of our realm (Esther, 3:13
Jerusalem Bible). He is preaching and practising a change, away from empathy,
humanity and justice, to an age of hate, disrespect, fear and even impunity!
Yes; he is delivering on his campaign promises; promises
that freely show MALICE TOWARD ALL. This is what the Americans asked for (is
it?) and so they have to live with it. Unfortunately however, the troubler of
America is also troubling the world. Instead of an inclusive, peaceful, healed,
unified and transformed world, Trump is working furiously towards a
traumatised, divided, and hate-full world that is in pieces. The bull is on
rampage and everyone is running for cover. Even the Trumpeteers are terrified.
Who or what can stop him? How prepared is the U.S. constitution and the
Judiciary for this strange phenomenon? I am afraid, both for the U.S. and for
the world! Meanwhile, I insist that Trump be pressurized to undergo that full
medical and neuropsychiatric evaluation as advised by U.S. psychiatrists. It
will be good to see what the outcome will be’( the end).
Trump
organized a successful state-capture in America in that he inundated the White House with people like himself and
attempted to turn the system upside down. But the US constitution and
institutions have come in to fight for
America. Our people say that a person whose name
is ‘Highscent’ should not be smelling
like refuse dump’; that a
person whose name is ROOFus should not be leaving in a hose with a leaky roof! It is also said that when the Headmaster breaks the chalk-board, then the students will go berserk. If
America, the author, finisher and
wholesale distributor of democracy, (including Nigerian democracy) turns all democratic
processes and rule of law upside down, then democracy is endangered. America is trying to recover from the years
of Trumpocracy (government
of Trump by Trump for Trumpeters), Trumpology (The political Ideology of Trump) and Trumpism
(the ascent and triumph of
Trumpocracy and Trumpology) through the efforts of its sturdy institutions. But
my question still remains: why did they not forsee this scenario, despite their
personal, societal and institutional sophistications? Why and how did
America descend so low?
Thuli and Fani: The former knocked out Zuma ; the later Nailed St Trumpu!
By the way, have you noticed the
similarity between those who dealt with Trump and Zuma? Zuma was dealt with by
Thuli Madonsela, a 60 year old public
prosecutor while Trumpu was nailed by
Fani Willis, a 52 year old Fulton County
District Attorney! What women cannot
do does not exist!
·
By the way, it appears that I am
still practicing Afghanistanism: Writing about Trumpu and America while Nigeria is literally on FIRE. Well, that is as the spirit directs!
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Interesting.
ReplyDeleteNo country is a Saint when it comes to corruption