Fake News, Unfortunately, No, it is Too Real.

I grew up during the Vietnam War, the Watergate Scandal. I know a little about government generated misinformation. I lived through the Reagan administration. The great manipulator in chief. A man who could smile and "aw shucks" his way out of the Iran-Contra crimes with a simple "I was napping at the time," sort of claim. Trump, however, is in a league of his own.

Speaking to the military at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida he made the claim that terrorist attacks are being ignored by the press. Saying, "and in many cases the very, very dishonest press doesn't want to report it. They have their reasons and you understand that." No, they probably don't understand that Mr. President.

I certainly don't, Mr. President. Perhaps they, the "very, very dishonest press" are too busy making up "fake news" about the things you said, Mr. President. Though, there is no way any dishonest reporter, no matter how creative, how feverishly imaginative, could ever match the news you actually create.

If, during the Obama presidency, or either of the Bush presidencies, Reagan, Carter, Clinton, any of them, the press would have reported the president threatened to invade Mexico it would have seemed like "fake news." Today it seems like "news." Troubling, terrifying news, but real news.

If the press would have reported that Bush, who launched an invasion in Iraq, would have instituted a ban on seven predominately Muslim nations, including Iraq, thereby infuriating almost one half of the world it would have seemed like fiction, sensationalistic journalism. Now it just seems like journalism. 

If, during any presidency I can remember the president's senior adviser had called the press the opposition party and advised the press to "keep its mouth shut," it would have seemed like fiction. Today, obody has any trouble believing it as fact. 

Telling the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the director of National Intelligence they were being replaced on the National Security Council by a presidential adviser, and then having the press secretary justify the action by citing his short, unremarkable career in the navy people would have scoffed, calling it rumor. Until now. Now it almost seems predictable.  

No, Mr. President, it seems the real problem with the press is not how little they report, but how much. At least how much they report that defines the damage you are doing. And the more we know the better. 

Two Weeks, And A Long List of Accomplishments

Almost two weeks in and President Trump has been extremely busy. Besides his exhaustive tweet schedule, and I defy anybody to try to keep up with the man, he has made time to call, harass, and irritate people all over the world.

He really made the Palestinians angry when he talked expansively about moving the embassy to Jerusalem. An act that would incite extremists everywhere and drag the whole region into chaos.

Then, in a surprising show of equal opportunity, he made the Israelis furious when he left the Jews out of his holocaust remembrance speech. Intentionally, he claimed, or had his spokesperson claim, because "other victims also suffered." Delightful, Mr. President.

He angered all of the Middle East, and the Iraqis in particular when he said we should "steal Iraq's oil." So reminiscent of the comedian Gallagher, whose plan was to drill straight through the earth and suck the oil right out from underneath them. "It's not there oil, it's our oil, they're just closer, that's all." It's not so damned funny now, is it?

He has threatened Iran, with some unspecified retaliation, for ignoring the treaty Mr. Trump said he was going to walk away from. Iran's president has responded by calling him a political novice. How do you respond to that, Mr. President?

He has repeatedly insulted Mexico, America's third largest trading partner. Insisting that they are going to pay for a pointless, foolish wall. Threatening embargoes, tariffs, and most recently to send in US troops allegedly to round up all the "bad hombres" waiting in line to rush across the border before the wall is assembled.

In one fell swoop he has handed most of the regional influence of the Pacific Rim to China by backing out of the TPP. But, not until he had them thoroughly angered by having his Secretary of State designate make bold, unenforceable claims on islands in the South China Sea.

In a bold move of infantile diplomacy he cut short a call with the Prime Minister of Australia. A nation that has sent more troops to assist the US in Iraq and Afghanistan than any other. After claiming that taking the refugees was "the worst deal ever."

Taking time from his busy schedule, he managed to irritate almost everybody with a pointless, rambling, and insulting speech to commemorate Black History Month.

In what is certainly an ambush visit he managed to insult the fallen heroes of the CIA by standing in front of the memorial wall and talking about himself.. His favorite topic. A subject that fascinates him. He can go on and on about himself.

He loves to talk about himself, and his impressive victory, which was impressive, admittedly, but not because of the scope, as he so often claims, because of his outsider status, which was an enormous accomplishment.  And, the number of people who viewed his inauguration, not as many as he claims. And CNN, and his ongoing feud with CNN,

His goal of American Isolationism should be relatively easy. Nobody will want anything to do with us pretty soon.