What Have They Done To Our Country?

​                          Books by Patti Liszkay available on Amazon:   
     "Equal And Opposite Reactions"      http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa
     "Hail Mary"                                           https://www.amzn.com/1684334888
     "Tropical Depression"                        https://www.amzn.com/B0BTPN7NYY

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​What Have They Done To Our Country?

​       A few days ago my daughter and I were talking, trying to wrap our brains around how on earth it could be possible that in a matter of days Donald Trump and his band of billionaire kleptocratic oligarchs have completely reversed the national character of the United States, not only at home but in the eyes of the rest of the world.
       We're still the richest country on the planet and still the most powerful. But as for being a shining beacon of democracy? That light is all but extinguished. As for making the world safe for democracy? Trump has abandoned our partnerships with our historic friends and allies in Europe and the Americas and pulled back protection of and solidarity with countries across the globe that exist on democratic principles.         Instead he's brought our country into league with Russia and cozied up to dictator Vladimir Putin 

...and has shamefully cast aside our ally Ukraine and, in an appalling bout-face, has thrown America's support behind Putin's brutal war against that country.
      Trump has also  taken on as an ally Viktor Orban, anti-democratic authoritarian President of Hungary,

       
​        And then there was our national embarrassment of a Vice President JD Vance, 

...who, during his visit to Munich last week had the ignorant gall to put on a self-righteous show of scolding German political leaders for refusing to embrace the alarming fascist movement that has arisen in Germany. 
        As we talked about all these things my daughter wistfully brought up her favorite of all favorite movie scenes. 
        It's the scene from "Independence Day," when the planet earth is under attack and in dire straights because the humans are helpless against the superior technology of of the alien invaders. But then the Americans come up with a simple,  plan, good old Yankee ingenuity, to communicate with and pull together the armies of the world and  outsmart the evil aliens.
       "It's the Americans!" says an excited foreign army officer upon receiving the message.           
​      "About bloody time!" replies another officer.

          Here's the link to that scene:   
​           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqRGx4y4J24
​        It is one of the great, inspiring, uplifting patriotic movie moments. But sadly, tragically, the America of 1996 when that movie was made is not the America of 2025 under Donald Trump. And so watching that wonderful scene cannot but leave one feeling sad. Because we're no longer America, bringer of help,

...bringer of hope.

     Under Donald Trump America will never again save the day. Under Donald Trump, rather, the United States now has the locust mentality  of the "Independence Day" alien invaders whose mission is to take all Earth's land and resources for themselves: 
       Trump would have us swoop into Panama and grab their canal for ourselves. He would have us take the country of Greenland in order to pilfer their minerals. He would likewise coerce Ukraine, whose people have gone though so much suffering since Russia invaded their country, into handing over to the U.S. their treasure of rare earth metals. He would take over our neighbor to the north and former best friend, Canada.
      Donald Trump would force the Gazans out of what's left of their land after years of bombing and destruction by Israel,

...so that he could seize their land and rebuild it as a luxury Trump beach resort.
​        But how did this happen? How did the United States turn over night from a world leader to a world terror?
      How it happened, of course, is that this is what a majority of Americans voted for. This is what they asked for. What they thought they wanted. I wonder how many Americans still want it?