TRUMP’S SALUTE TO AMERICA SPEECH FAILS

Trump’s Fourth of July speech yesterday a failure. Lies, misrepresentations, innuendos, and pure ordinary bullshit do not make for a patriotic endeavor.

The speech included a defense of “American heroes,” an attack on the Chinese, and an attack on the media. Trump tried to highlight what he views as the shared “great” heritage of Americans.

He called for “unity.” Claimed the country is defeating the “radical left.” He emphasized “protecting and defending” the American way of life.

Always quick to pass the buck, blame another, part of Trump’s China attack included blaming China for coronavirus. In addition, he blamed increased testing for the increased number of confirmed cases.

The speech was not very American. In fact, left me feeling a bit dirty by its end.

A July 4 Presidential Address should leave the citizenry feeling as if they were listening to the song America. Patriotic. The opening stanza a reflection of goodness: “My country, ’tis of thee, / Sweet land of liberty, / Of thee I sing; / Land where my fathers died, / Land of the pilgrims’ pride, / From every mountainside / Let freedom ring!”

An abolitionist version of America was written by A.G. Duncan in 1843. Its second stanza exemplary truth: “My native country, thee, / Where all men are born free, if white’s their skin; / I love thy hills and dales, / Thy mounts and pleasant vales; / But hate thy negro sales, as foulest sin.”

There was a July 4 White House celebration which resulted in the death of a President. President Zachary Taylor in 1850.

I am not sure of the significance, but the Washington Monument was under construction at the time. The celebration might have been held at the construction site rather than the White House.

President Taylor consumed water and raw fruit. Five days later, he died from a gastrointestinal illness that historians believe was cholera. Cholera the result of ingesting infected water and/or fruit.

Trump always needs a particular group of people to vilify. In fact, to ride to election victory.

In 2016, it was immigrants. This year, other Americans.

Trump claims the burning of the American flag before the White House this weekend was organized by radical leftists. Far right leftist. Two groups. The Revolutionary Communist Party and Refuse Fascism.

May be true. I don’t know. What I do know is whether true or not, it is Trump trying to improperly paint all liberals as radical leftists. In this case, communists and perhaps fascists.

A statue of Christopher Columbus was taken down and thrown into Baltimore Harbor saturday night. A statue of Jeffrey Epstein mysteriously appeared outside the Albuquerque City Hall over the weekend. It was removed within 24 hours.

When does this crap stop?

Florida is close to being #1 in coronavirus outbreaks. Presently #2.

The reason Florida’s numbers are increasing dramatically is the actions of our inept Governor De Santis. Trump’s lap dog. He does everything Trump wants or suggests. Ergo, De Santis has been as successful as Trump in fighting the virus.

Yesterday, Florida had 11,458 new coronavirus cases. A new one day high!

Things are moving swiftly. Florida is up to 190,052 confirmed cases, 3,803 which resulted in death.

I want to say something rarely mentioned. The last war the U.S. won was World War II. We have not won any wars in which the U.S. has been engaged since.

The ending of the Vietnam War especially bothered me. The world watched its last days on television.

The last day was April 30, 1975. We all watched the last group of Americans airlifted off the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. While on the ground, North Vietnamese forces were in effect reaching the gates of the Embassy.

Embarrassing. The most powerful nation on earth being brought to its knees by a tiny Asian country.

The last 18 hours found 81 helicopters landing on the Embassy roof and removing 6,000 civilians  and more than 1,000 Americans to safety.

Baby feeding not a major problem today. A mother can try breast feeding if she so desires. If she cannot produce sufficient milk, the solution is at the super market. Canned formula.

A baby is never left crying from hunger.

Not the way it was in 1855 in Key West.

William Hackley’s wife Matilda had given birth. Breast feeding was the mode of the day. She could not produce enough. The baby would cry half the day and night.

The solution in Hackley’s day was goat milk. Get your own goat and milk it.

By July 3, 1855, Hackley had bought or rented 2 different goats from 2 different sources.The goats were as barren as Matilda. Hackley was desperate. He sent to Havana for a goat. A few days between the order and receiving the goat.

The baby continued crying. William and Matilda continued walking the floor.

On July 4, Matilda’s nipples began suffering from the baby munching so hard on them. Hackley went to South Beach to get some Bay Cider for Matilda’s breasts.

Very sorrowful canned formula was not available back then.

May Johnson’s life remains in good stead in July 1896. The 20 year old Key West school teacher is living life. Respectfully.

July 3, 1896 must have been a day of rest. Very little done. May and her girl friends weighed themselves. May came in at 124 1/2 pounds.

July 4 was another story! Independence Day! America was celebrating. May and Key West were celebrating.

May has a strange relationship. Her “love” is Ernest. He rarely is in Key West. Works in Miami. They correspond. May’s last letter to Ernest 17 pages.

May goes dancing almost every day however at La Brisa. Never dances with one. Dances with many. For hours.

She began July 4 by writing to Ernest.

The Battleship Maine was in harbor. A reception was scheduled on the Maine. May and her friends were invited.

May wrote, “We went all over the ship.”

She claims she made a “dead smash” on Mr. Ward, claiming, “My! He is so handsome.”

I assume a “dead smash” is a kiss.

The Maine visit ended with May and her friends returning to shore by boat. The boys were “much drunk, Ugh!”

She described her Fourth as “gloriously grand, much Fourth, Ah!”

She concluded her diary entry advising “she came to bed at 12 o’clock.” Significant because I do not recall her ever mentioning such a late bed time before.

Key West cancelled its annual White Street Pier fireworks because of the virus. My neighborhood had its own.

Seems like my neighbors in every direction had fireworks. They went off constantly for 3 hours.

I never went out to watch. Too many people on the street.

Today, Sunday. Will be a typical one for me. As it has been for more than 3 months. Staying in to avoid the virus.

I am getting through this time with actually no difficulty. Thank God I enjoy researching and writing. Otherwise, I might be a basket case.

Enjoy your Sunday!

10 comments on “TRUMP’S SALUTE TO AMERICA SPEECH FAILS

  1. Lou, I think you are confusing Trump’s 4th of July speech with that usually given by an honest president, of which Donald Trump is not. He’s a manipulator, NOT a leader.

    His July fourth (Independence Day) Speech was really a campaign speech, aimed at his hate loving base. As such, it was on the money and probably very effective. Mostly lies, yet incendiary and nasty, just what they love and want to hear.

  2. Waiting for Trump to designate the Dem Party a terrorist organization. He is going further and further off the rails.
    I am always amazed by the number of smart, educated people I know who follow him.

    • I think you (all of us) need to reevaluate the standards of what smart is and what influence ‘educated’ has on being smart.

  3. Donald Trump is a product of America’s arrogance. I agree we have not won a just conflict since 1945. Since that time the rich, the elite, and the corrupt have increasingly ruled by manipulating and purposefully “dumbing down” the rest of us. More injustices have been promulgated in the name of Jesus Christ than I care to recall.
    I honestly do not know if a nation-state of this size, diversity, and now the division is repairable outside of an Imperial Authority a la imperial Rome and the fall of their Republic. We see the situation clearly in China and Russia and I feel the USA, once a beacon of democracy or at least striving to be, becomes just another police state for the rich or powerful.

    • I truly wish I could find grounds for disagreement with Zen. I cannot. History is littered with the remains of nations brought down as much by themselves as by outsiders. We are on a treacherous path.

    • We are on the right path now. Tear up the Constitution and start over. Ban Trump supporters from speaking publicly, label their speech hate speech. All White people should be taxed at a determined tax rate, to pay back the rest of us.

  4. Perhaps we in America are really only practicing human nature and too often just everything that is bad about that, rather than the lofty aspirations we’re always claiming to be about.

    Kind of like claiming patriotism, then doing nothing about a traitor.

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