It's strange how all of those issues which Trump campaigned on and promised to deliver on once in office seem to have quickly taken a backseat, isn't it?
We just received reports that inflation hit a seven month high in January. The price of gas and groceries is still going up and up under Trump, even though he insisted that he would fix this "quickly."
I liked how Rex Huppke put it in a recent USA Today Op/Ed piece:
The man who claims to care deeply about “real Americans” and “the forgotten men and women of our country” swore up and down that he would fix inflation and food prices "from the day I take the oath of office."
Instead of taking care of economic realities which affect "real Americans" and their wallets on a daily basis, Trump and his White House have been focusing on either threats or daydreams (or both) of a second American "Manifest Destiny." We keep hearing not solutions to try and bring inflation down, to make gas and eggs and other groceries affordable, but rather, about how Trump wants to make Canada the 51st state, and how he might want to use the military in Mexico, as well as to take over the Panama Canal and Gaza and, of course, Greenland.
To that end, the Trump Party - might as well call the Republican Party what it now has become in reality - is falling in line. Members of the party or racing against one another for the opportunity to lick the boots of the Dear Leader.
Just two days ago, Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia formally introduced a bill which, if it passes, would authorize Trump to enter into negotiations with Denmark to acquire Greenland. Furthermore, it would allow for the possibility of renaming it "Red, White, and Blueland."
No, that is not a joke. It might sound like it. But these are the actual headlines that we Americans - and sadly, the rest of the world - have to deal with. Okay, so he admitted that ending the war in Ukraine would be more difficult than he first assumed. And he also mentioned that bringing down the price of groceries would be difficult, seemingly backing down from his promises.
But I guess this is what some of the people who think that Donald Trump is "entertaining" were hoping for. Disrespecting and antagonizing friendly countries (at least previously friendly countries) like Denmark and Canada, and trying to rile up the American public for military intervention in faraway places so that we could expand our territory, all in an apparent effort to "Make America Great Again."
Then maybe Trump will get his face engraved on Mount Rushmore, which is something which he once mentioned, and which now, a member of the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, just introduced as legislation to be considered.
All of this may sound like a joke. It isn't.
But let me get back to Greenland, which seems to be in news headlines these days probably more than ever before in it's history. Despite the leaders of both Denmark and Greenland insisting that the island is not for sale, Trump is proceeding with what he seems to believe are negotiations to set the terms of a possible sale.
Yet, not only are the Danes opposed to it, but the overwhelming majority of the people of Greenland want no part of being absorbed into the United States. Here, according to an NPR article (see link below), are the results of a recent poll last month which show how unpopular the idea is:
A January poll found that 85% of Greenlanders do not want to be part of the U.S. And, as NPR has reported, most Danes "have gone from shock, confusion to just plain bemused" by Trump's proposal.
To their credit, the Danes have responded with humor. A spoof petition has been floating around in that country to buy California from Trump. It is called "Måke Califørnia Great Ægain." The arguments were that it is often sunny and warm and has palm trees, and would make avocado toast more affordable. Here's a little more:
It says it is in Denmark's national interest to promote its heritage by turning California into New Denmark and L.A. into Løs Ångeles.
"We'll bring hygge to Hollywood, bike lanes to Beverly Hills, and organic smørrebrød to every street corner," it says. "Rule of law, universal health care and fact based politics might apply."
You have to admire the Danish for having a very good sense of humor through all of this absolute madness that we are seeing.
Still, while all of this may sound like a joke, the sheer persistence of the headlines from these stories might suggest that there is actually nothing funny about any of this.
Maybe it is just a negotiating ploy that the "very stable genius" is using. Certainly, his supporters seem to think that he employs such tactics, and may even use the perceptions of his instability to his favor to get what he wants.
However, he also might really be serious about this. He refused to rule out the possible use of the military to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal, and more recently mused on the idea of militarily taking over Gaza and converting it into a new Riviera kind of place. We might militarily take over a place and rename it "Red, White, and Blueland" and retake the Panama Canal. And Justin Trudeau has insisted that Trump is not kidding about trying to make Canada the 51st state, warning that it will not go away. I'm sure the people of Gaza were equally thrilled to here how Trump plans to forcibly move them out of their own land and then take over and make Gaza a glitzy Riviera-style vacation resort.
But you know, I just can't help thinking about how this country seems to be losing ground all around the world. How China's economic and military might - to say nothing of their political clout - just keeps growing, and they continue to catch up quickly with the United States. Already, they are regarded as the new superpower. And Russia seems to be trying to grow their power and circle of influence. The number of countries lining themselves up as members of BRICS just keeps growing, and they seem bent on a world economy moving away from the American dollar.
With countries all around the world seemingly intent on being potential competitors or even threats, it might be wise if we Americans focused on trying to solidify our friendships with countries around the world. Instead, many Americans seem to be getting a kick out of antagonizing them, as we are particularly with Denmark, Canada, and Mexico. Greenlanders clearly do not want us there, but Trump and his friendly Congress seem to be insisting that we will take over. Canada has been an independent nation since 1867, and is a relatively powerful and prosperous country in it's own right. Yet, Trump's insistence that they should be the 51st state has a growing number of Americans feeling like viewing Canada as some kind of illegitimate country is a legitimate political argument to make.
Meanwhile, Trump's economic policies here at home are the same trickle-down economics that have widened the wealth gap for many decades now. The rich are getting much, much richer, obscenely rich, even. And the poor are getting poorer, and more people are moving in that direction.
For now, Trump voters are still celebrating their big win, while Trump erodes their living standards, as well as American democracy itself. They will continue to celebrate until the ramifications of Trump's policies begin to hit them. But even then, I am not entirely sure that they will not console themselves by swallowing the Kool Aid of whatever convenient arguments the Trump White House propaganda machine gives them to drink.
Such absurd times we are now living in.
Below are the links to the articles which I used in writing this blog entry, and from which I obtained all of the specific quotes used above:
Inflation hit 7-month high of 3% in January. Here's what it means for Fed rate cuts by Paul Davidson of USA TODAY, February 12, 2025:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/02/12/cpi-report-january-inflation-impact/78436987007/
Inflation, prices jump as Trump ignores 'real Americans.' What about America first? | Opinion Inflation hit a seven-month high in January, and consumer prices saw their biggest rise on a monthly basis since August 2023. Portrait of Rex HuppkeRex Huppke USA TODAY
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/02/12/inflation-food-gas-prices-trump-economy/78466709007/
BREAKING: Rep. Luna Introduces Legislation to Carve President Trump on Mount Rushmore Jan 28, 2025
https://luna.house.gov/posts/breaking-rep-luna-introduces-legislation-to-carve-president-trump-on-mount-rushmore
Red, White and Blueland? Trump's Greenland talk sparks some colorful proposals by Rachel Treisman, February 12, 2025:
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/12/nx-s1-5294315/greenland-trump-red-white-blueland-denmark-california
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