Gamble

Written Feb. 23; posted Feb. 24, 2016

I began to have doubts today. I began to doubt that I should give my vote to Donald Trump.

I did not begin to doubt because of anything the panicked, manipulative establishment was saying about him. Nor did I begin to doubt because of anything the media or the candidates were saying about him. No vital revelations about Trump’s past political activities or beliefs spurred the cloudiness.

The question of would Trump keep his campaign affirmations if elected planted the doubt in my mind. He has trumpeted his ability to negotiate as a key reason to vote for him. He has said he would be willing to compromise (not intrinsically a bad thing) to achieve the best, most advantageous deals for Americans and the country. If he does it enough, would that mean he would not build a wall at the border with Mexico and have that country pay for it? Would he decide against a temporary ban of Muslims entering these United States? Would he accept Syrian refugees after all and risk the entry of terrorists into the country? Would he allow American companies to relocate overseas?

History has taught us that most Republicans and Democrats do not serve the public interest. Upon election, candidates kick the kitchen sink they promised to the curb, along with the common man. They embark on their servitude to the paternalistic special interests that anointed them and that got them elected or to a strict ideological dogma that obliquely traverses common sense. Generally, the two are chained together.

I quelled my worry by the thought of the lack of alternatives. Ted Cruz waxes too ideological for me. Yes, I like his respect for the Constitution. His stand on immigration, while not as tough as Trump’s, shows promise. He does, however, wrestle with honesty. He does have ties to special interests, although all do. As a strict conservative, intentionally or not, his views help those who already own wealth as opposed to those mired in debt and a lack of opportunity. This is a serious flaw in “conservatism”. It is great to speak about maximizing individual freedom when you have the money to do all the maximizing you want. When you don’t, a long period of financial servitude lies in store, what with college debt, housing debt, taxes on small salaries, health care debt: The cost of living, of surviving in today’s world, is off the charts. It crushes the human spirit and destroys liberty for many, if not most.

The establishment has bought and paid for Marco Rubio, and as interesting and attractive as he sometimes seems, the kid has little to no experience and mostly a track record of ambition. How will he help the common man? With more of the same ole same ole: enacting legislation that gives free reign to the so-called “job creators”? How well has that worked for you or for the country the last 20 to 30 years?

It hasn’t.

The same can be said for John Kasich. He will promote the interests of the job annihilating “job creators” who are, when they do, creating jobs overseas. In fact, they have been creating them in countries that hate us and who want to take us down, specifically, Red China. Astonishing! On top of that, while he was governor of Ohio, Kasich has been engaged in privatizing prisons, an effort that always leads to a mass of violations and troubles at the prison and dishonesty. Kasich crusaded against the public employee unions of teachers and emergency workers to crush their opportunity to earn money and benefits. In a statewide plebiscite, Ohio voters roundly rejected the legislation he obtained against those workers. He bowed to their will reluctantly.

The so-called capitalists and “job creators” scream for a free market, but that always means a market free from the competition of union members and laws that hold them accountable for their illicit or immoral practices. They want a clear path for their greed to reach the treasure chest of excess profit!

Party labels mean little sometimes. Hillary Clinton is just another establishment candidate. Her resume may extend lengthily, but her struggle with honesty, her mishandling of national security, and her total misunderstanding of the middle class, plus her pro-death stance, disqualify her. Bernie manifests integrity, but I am worried his suggested policies would bring catastrophe to our economy. I also have a problem with someone who was a conscientious objector becoming commander-in-chief. Ironic, to say the least.

That brings us full circle back to Donald Trump. He has upset and continues to upset the apple cart. Good. The cart needs a massive makeover and restocking. His antics, strength, and policy recommendations lay a heavy burden on himself, however. You are gambling on yourself, Trump, as we are gambling on you. We are gambling that you are not going to be like the other politicians who have done nothing and crushed our hopes and left our country a mess. Please, don’t disappoint us. The effect from such disappointment could be catastrophic.