10 ways Trump 2.0 is making our lives worse

The first nine months of the Trump administration provide ample evidence of how much ground it has covered—or more fittingly, ravaged? We may, in fact, be running out of hyperbole to describe the magnitude of the impact.

Multiple actions, abetted by acquiescence from those who should not be acquiescing, are collectively changing our form of governance, the character of our nation, and our way of life.

Here is a considered top ten. Presenting them all in one blast emphasizes that the challenges we face at this moment are more daunting than anyone could have imagined 10 months ago.

Many of the actions on the list have been noted individually, analyzed and documented at length in various publications. I believe it useful to view them all together and ask whether anything can be done to slow down the juggernaut.

1. Failure of US Congress to serve as a check and balance on President Donald Trump’s overreaches of executive authority;
2. The Supreme Court’s submissiveness in the face of the president’s destruction of major governmental institutions;
3. The Executive’s unchecked attempts to undermine the independence of regulatory entities including the Federal Reserve, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission;
4. The president’s arbitrary and capricious downsizing of the civil service, diminishing the federal government’s capacity for competent, ethical, and well-managed operations;
5. The erosion of a viable two-party system in this country, whereby two loosely structured political bodies argue fairly and reasonably about proper courses of action for the nation. We now have one remaining party, the Democrats, faced off against a propagandist machine that hides behind the label “conservative,” but spends most of its energy spouting untruths;
6. The caving of an array of university leaders and media moguls to blackmail schemes foisted on them by an administration that arbitrarily withholds funds allocated by Congress;
7. A series of presidential actions in patent violation of the Constitution, notably trampling citizens’ right of free speech and the constitutional mandate on the separation of church and state;
8. The denigration of the Democrats as the party out of power, compounding the disarray the party has brought upon itself. The result is the lack of clear, cogent, and consistent opposition messaging and coordinated leadership;
9. The realization of the full effects of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision on the governance of the country, whereby corporate mega contributions distort all efforts aimed at well-reasoned decision-making in service of the common good; and
10. The deprivation of the constitutional rights of thousands of citizens and noncitizens through cruel and unlawful detention and deportation.

Common to all of these aggressive moves is an ideology based purely on profiteering. In contrast to a diversity of political, social, economic, or religious ideologies motivating governments past and present, the single guiding principle of this administration appears to be how much money can be extracted. Laws, ethics, social welfare concerns, all are set aside. Whether the matter is international trade, foreign citizens’ work visas, or the uses of natural resources, the focus is solely the money. No longer is there even a nod to good will, generosity, conservation, fairness, or citizens’ safety and health.

This conflagration may be impossible to extinguish. Extreme measures are in order, if not too late. As quickly as possible, a nationwide protest vote open to the entire electorate must take place, repudiating the actions of the administration and the failure of others to act in opposition. Simultaneously, a massive national resistance movement must coalesce, one that is well organized, well led, and enduring.

A footnote: I am befuddled that defenders of the Constitution, such as previous presidents, billionaire philanthropists, and opinion leaders—those with much more agency and resources than I can muster—have not already come together to mount such top-level efforts.