by John Ellis
Do you know what dictators do? Among other things, they punish those who disagree with them and/or otherwise contradict them. After a rough jobs report was released today, Dictator Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the director of the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Claiming, with zero evidence, of course, that the numbers had been “manipulated for political purposes,” Trump promised to replace her “with someone much more competent and qualified.” Translation: McEntarfer will be replaced with someone who will not dare to release any information or report that will damage Donald Trump and his administration.
Multiple times a week I read news reports that prompt me to mutter “Dictator Trump.” Just a few days ago, for one example, I read how Trump has given pharmaceutical companies 60 days to lower drug prices or else. The “or else” was specifically yet vaguely worded as “we will use every tool in our arsenal to protect American families from continued abusive drug pricing.” It remains unclear what Trump means by “every tool in our arsenal” but I highly doubt he cares about things like Constitutional restraints. Look, drug pricing is out of control, you’ll get no arguments about that from me. Pharmaceutical companies, by and large, are controlled by greed, and are making people rich at the expense of hurting and dying image bearers. But Trump does not have the Constitutional power to unilaterally force them to change their prices. Let’s see what happens in 60 days, though. I’m guessing he’ll do something that would earn other presidents an impeachment but will earn Dictator Trump the slathering praise of the Republican Party and MAGA. Remember, though, just because you like the dictatorial outcome this time, there’s no guarantee that you’ll like all the dictatorial outcomes that will inevitably follow.
You see, Donald Trump believes that he is accountable to no one and to nothing (and in Donald Trump v USA, the Supreme Court has essentially greenlit his belief). He doesn’t believe he’s accountable to the voters nor the Constitution. He believes that whatever he thinks is true is true and whatever he thinks is best is best, and he broaches no dissent. Ask the Washington Commanders. Trump has threatened to nix their new stadium deal if they don’t change their name back to what Native Nations consider a racist slur (it shouldn’t matter what you think about the name; a president using his office to punish companies whom he disagrees with should concern everyone, to say the least). Ask the AP who found themselves banned from the White Press pool after they refused to capitulate to Dictator Trump and refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Trumpian made-up name of the Gulf of America. Ask the multiple law firms who have caved to Trump’s demands in order to protect the security clearances (and government contracts those security clearances allow) of their lawyers. The list is long. Seriously. Really long.
After the firing of Director McEntarfer today, it’s no hyperbole to point out that we have solidly entered the era of “newspeak” in America. No doubt, moving forward, the official economic numbers will look great while American families suffer rising inflation, growing unemployment, and destroyed retirement accounts. But hey, there’s some good news: the pain meds our kids will need after the oral surgery on their cavities thanks to the removal of fluoride from water will be cheaper.
Edit: After hitting publish, I went outside to mow the lawn. While mowing, I remembered: Donald Trump has threatened to revoke the citizenship of multiple people who are vocal critics of his. If that’s not dictator-like, I don’t know what it is.
Practically Known Theology 