Last March, I wrote a newsletter about where America stands on the progression outlined by the classic \u201cThe Story of Nations.\u201d The heart of the classic reads:<\/p>\n
From bondage to spiritual faith,<\/em> At the time, I wrote: \u201cFrom what I can see, our place on that list teeters on bondage. \u2026 But the question is, must it become necessary? Must we suffer through bondage again, this time under the reign of King Donald and his merry-making billionaire oligarchs, or can we skip over the bondage part and go straight to the spiritual faith that led us to toss off our bondage and become a great nation?\u201d<\/p>\n Today, nine months after I wrote that, we have our answers: yes, we do have to suffer through bondage again, and yes, it is bondage under the reign of King Donald.<\/p>\n The bondage has already begun. In the nearly one year that Donald Trump has been in the White House, he has become the American dictator, the American king. Not will be king. Is king.<\/p>\n Only a king could get away with doing what Trump has done and continues to do. In order to find government money he can shovel into his and his billionaire buddies\u2019 pockets, he cruelly allowed (so far) nearly a million people around the world to die by canceling USAID; took food away from some 41 million poor American children, helpless elderly and disabled adults by canceling SNAP, the nation\u2019s most important anti-hunger program; is causing health insurance premiums for millions of people to skyrocket by letting Obamacare die \u2013 again, all that for no other reason than to let Trump stuff money into his and his billionaire buddies\u2019 pockets.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s just for starters. Trump likes \u201cnubile young girls\u201d and raped at least one of them, if you believe what Jeffrey Epstein wrote. He has murdered more than 100 defenseless men (so far) because he believed they were carrying drugs. This list could go on for pages, but unless you\u2019ve either had your head buried in the sand all year or you depend on news sources like Fox News and Newsmax to tell you what\u2019s going on in the world, you know the list.<\/p>\n But even beyond that near-endless, monstrous list, Trump is acting like kings and dictators always act, with, for one thing, merciless self-aggrandizement. With that, he\u2019s gone overboard. He is putting his face and name to major U.S. institutions, cultural landmarks, and currency, often illegally.<\/p>\n He’s even had his cronies in Congress introduce legislation to rename Washington Dulles International Airport the Donald J. Trump International Airport, rename Washington\u2019s Metrorail system the “Trump Train”, and add his likeness to Mount Rushmore.<\/p>\n Plans are afoot to put his image on the $100 bill, create an unprecedented $250 bill and put his image on it, and strike a commemorative one-dollar coin that could have his image on both sides.<\/p>\n Also, the Department of Homeland Security introduced the “Trump Gold Card” that offers wealthy applicants (white ones, anyway) a fast-track to U.S. residency and citizenship in exchange for a $1 million “gift” to the Treasury.<\/p>\n Also, The Interior Department unveiled a new design for America\u2019s national park passes that replaces traditional scenic imagery with Trump\u2019s face.<\/p>\n Also. Trump had his name displayed on the outside of the United States Peace Institute.<\/p>\n Also, he declared himself chairman of the board of trustees for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, replaced its board and its longtime president with his cronies, and their first decision was to give the center a new name: the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. (Trump said that surprised him; didn\u2019t see that coming.)<\/p>\n And now Trump is pressuring the Washington Commanders NFL football organization to rename its stadium the Donald J. Trump Stadium.<\/p>\n Trump even surrounds himself with kinglike applications, such as adding so many gold accents \u2013 real gold — throughout the Oval Office it looks like a king\u2019s parlor. He had the room\u2019s ceiling gold-leafed, and the presidential circle in the room\u2019s ceiling outlined in gold. He installed gold curtains behind the Resolute Desk, added gold trim to details along the ceiling and doorways, even gave the cherubs inside the door frames a golden makeover.<\/p>\n So, there should be no question about it: the madman thinks he is the king, and for now he is the king. He controls not only the Executive branch, but also the Supreme Court, both houses of Congress, the United States\u2019 military, even the \u201cindependent\u201d Department of Justice. He can do anything he feels like doing, no matter how cruel or destructive it is, and get away with it.<\/p>\n
\nFrom spiritual faith to great courage,<\/em>
\nFrom great courage to liberty,<\/em>
\nFrom liberty to abundance,<\/em>
\nFrom abundance to selfishness,<\/em>
\nFrom selfishness to complacency,<\/em>
\nFrom complacency to apathy,<\/em>
\nFrom apathy to dependence,<\/em>
\nFrom dependence to bondage.<\/em><\/p>\n
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