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All the President’s Men is a 1976 American Political thriller film about the Watergate scandal, which brought down the presidency of Richard M. Nixon… it is based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, the two journalists investigating the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post.
Fast forward 44 years. Bob Woodward, now an associate editor at The Washington Post has written “Fear: Trump in the White House.” This tome may go down in the annals of history as both causing the downfall of the Trump Administration and serving as the catalyst in saving American democracy!
Or not! Donald Trump has proven to be a survivor of damning evidence that would topple other politicians.
The President has already taken to his favorite communication medium to mock the veracity of Woodward’s book.
The Woodward book is a Joke – just another assault against me, in a barrage of assaults, using now disproven unnamed and anonymous sources. Many have already come forward to say the quotes by them, like the book, are fiction. Dems can’t stand losing. I’ll write the real book!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2018
Woodward’s reputation as a solid journalist with impeccable credentials allows the American public to decide and evaluate what they believe. He stands by his journalistic endeavor and issues a strong warning.
“I’ve never seen an instance when the president is so detached from the reality of what’s going on…This has not been treated seriously enough…The things — some of the things — that Trump did and does jeopardizes the real national security.” https://t.co/JtAHyXernR @TODAYshow pic.twitter.com/psuY2H1htw
— Bob Woodward (@realBobWoodward) September 10, 2018
People tend to believe whatever they want. Often, what they hear and see is processed through a self-imposed filter that serves to reinforce their preexisting perceptions. They may be oblivious to the truths that surround them.
In the 21st Century, they are aided by social media and mainstream cable news reporting that enables them to believe what they are told rather than to think critically, analyze and reach measured conclusions.
This is even now the case as pre-publication excerpts of ‘Fear’ have been released. Fox News Network has gone on the offensive as it seeks to influence its rabid, red meat, unidimensional viewers.
Woodward didn’t dare write about
Trump’s accomplishments – ‘Fear’ is
designed to help Dems win in
November
To be fair, this is The United States of America. People are allowed to believe what they choose. Of course, this is more of a centrist or progressive view.
The right believes that in 2016, San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick disrespected America when he chose to kneel on one knee during the playing of the national anthem. He described his behavior as a “…protest against racial injustice” in the United States. Seems like a logical position to me!
President Trump rather than acknowledging Kaepernick’s right of peaceful protest chose to make the action a conservative rallying cause. Perhaps he did so out of true conviction. It’s far more likely he wanted to gain political support and deflect attention from the litany of probes into alleged campaign abuse and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
There’s an old saying that “if we fail to learn from history we are doomed to repeat it.”
At this point, no one knows for sure all of the abuses that have been perpetrated on the U.S. public or if our great experiment in Democracy is in dire peril. While there’s lots of evidence of crime and findings and pleadings of guilt, we can’t be sure of the depth and breadth of treachery.
Each of us as independent thinkers has the opportunity to use Woodward’s book as a jumping off point to begin an independent evaluation of the Trump administration.
It’s to be expected that those on the right will not be swayed in their belief that there is a deep government conspiracy against Donald Trump. This despite the fact that the numerous “anonymous leakers” about Trump’s incompetence come from within his own personally picked army of White House staffers.
Citizens on the left are unlikely to believe that the President is not guilty of heinous crimes against our democracy and particularly minorities and the disenfranchised.
What is disappointing, scary and unnerving is two-fold.
First, elected conservative mainstream politicians who refuse to speak up and act — thus complicit in the dismantling of our democracy. Then again, they are politicians so it’s not surprising just disappointing. The conservatives led by Senator Mitch McConnell are motivated by both the willingness to ignore treachery in return for policy wins and fear of job displacement.
Many of our more centrist and allegedly progressive politicians complain of lack of power as they ineffectually carry out their daily duties. It’s so easy to make excuses. Most of us are in positions where we don’t hold ultimate power, yet we still make change happen!
Second, scary and unnerving is the vast “middle” of the nation. Many of whom are moderates who wanted change in Washington. Some really believed reality tv star Donald Trump would “drain the swamp.” Others only cared about how they might benefit financially. They voted for Donald Trump despite overwhelming evidence of his lack of character during the 2016 election campaign.
Now, despite a mountain of growing evidence, they refuse to take off their blinders and even discuss the travesties they are witnessing on a virtually daily basis. These are not the true Trump believers. They are Americans who in many cases unwittingly empowered Donald Trump to disembowel our democracy.
Perhaps they are confused, ashamed even alarmed. But like many cowards with insufferable egos, lack of conscience and unwillingness to own up to mistakes, they refuse to join in the growing clamor over the direction in which our nation is headed.
Finally, we have a growing legion of American’s already acting, becoming politically involved and working to get The United State of America back on track.
Into what category do you fit? It’s worth thinking about – if not for yourself then for your kids and grandkids!
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Photo Credit: Pixabay (combined images Nixon/Trump)
The post All the President’s Men — Redux! appeared first on The Good Men Project.