I was recently reminded of a quotation from Sir Winston Churchill. “The price of greatness is responsibility.” The third word put me in mind of Donald Trump who ceaselessly touts both his own greatness and America’s lack of greatness. In a flash, Churchill provided me with the word I’ve been seeking that encapsulates my fears and disappointments for America under a Trump presidency. IRRESPONSIBLE!
Like much of America I watched in horror as a fringe of the population that I had mistakenly assumed to be small and insignificant muscled their man into the White House. This man’s entire life has been a study in shirking responsibility. After dodging the draft he repeatedly exploited the legal provision of bankruptcy as a gimmick to build his inherited wealth while dodging the responsibility of paying his debts.
He flaunted his marital infidelities and bragged about his skills at sexual assault, But still they voted for him.
Not surprisingly Trump brought his irresponsible ways to the presidency where he has fraternized and flirted with sworn enemies of the United States, even taunting and goading a maniacal dictator who threatened nuclear retaliation. He has ridiculed war heroes and undermined the people’s trust in their own government even claiming that he is above accountability while obstructing the investigation of his conduct. He lives like a freeloader, seemingly spending more time on taxpayer funded golf outings than he does in the Oval Office.
Like most Americans I have my nostalgic moments. I remember, as a boy, the Pride I felt in America’s noble reputation as a good, strong and responsible neighbor to the global community. We would be the ones who came to the aid of the vulnerable and offered sanctuary from oppression and violence. That America had an indomitabl spirit of abundance and hospitality, not the spirit of scarcity and fear that has taken hold under Trump.
You can wear your MAGA hats and shout Trump’s catchphrase all you want but, speaking for myself, every time I read or hear make America great again I will be thinking Make America Responsible Again. That is the kind of greatness that is worth recovering.
