The Big Beautiful Lie

My neighbor called last night to congratulate me on the Fourth of July.  I didn't think much of it as I've been living in Lithuania for the last 27 years, but I thanked him just the same.  Maybe we should plan a barbeque, he asked?  Our once a summer get-together as we aren't very close but it is always nice to reconnect.  One summer, I played Jaws on an outdoor screen to satisfy the kids as we had hamburgers along with Greek salad and other fixings.  A very Fourth of July thing to do.

However, this time around I don't feel so convivial.  What transpired over the past week left me with a very empty feeling as I watched Republican after Republican cave in to Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," knowing full well it would have a devastating impact on the country. For a moment it looked like Lisa Murkowski would hold her ground but eventually John Thune offered enough concessions for Alaska that she signed on, giving the GOP the 50 senators they needed with JD Vance on hand to break the tie.  Poor Lisa looked like she got run over by a semi-truck when asked what it took to get her to sign on, glaring at the reporter for asking such a question.  

Murkowski could have stopped this bill dead in its tracks with a no vote, but Lisa has long played both sides of a controversial bill before eventually caving in.  Her weak response was that the House would sort through the bill and clean it up, which of course it didn't.  House Speaker Johnson accepted the Senate bill as is and strong-armed the so-called "Freedom Caucus" into signing on so that Trump would have his big day signing the massive spending into law on Independence Day.

The bill is big, that's for sure, but beautiful it is not.  With an allowance that raises the debt ceiling $5 trillion you can bet these massive tax cuts are going to skyrocket the national debt.  I suppose Republicans are hoping $5 tril will get them through four years of Trump, as he got pretty much everything he wanted in the way of mass deportations, funneling $170 billion into ICE.  He's very well on his way to creating a police state.  Immigration control is not just after felons, they want to "denaturalize" citizens and deport just about anyone of color, including this grandma, who had been living in the US for 47 years before she was plucked from her own lawn in New Orleans.  I just hope she doesn't end up in Alligator Alcatraz. 

My wife is absolutely livid each time she hears one of these stories.  There is no law in America anymore, she says.  It certainly doesn't seem like it as the Supreme Court has basically given Trump the green light to deport as many persons as he wants.  Ironically, he still hasn't matched Biden's rate of deportations from 2024.  He's just made a bigger show of it to satisfy his MAGA base, chomping like alligators at the red meat he throws them.

We had thought about visiting the US this year, as we were both excited at the prospect of Kamala Harris winning the election, but we have put off that trip indefinitely.  I don't even encourage my kids to go to the US as much as our youngest daughter would love to.  She thought about trying her luck in Los Angeles as we have a friend who lives in Santa Monica who would be happy to take her in, but even our daughter is repulsed by what she sees happening in the US.

Of course, much of it is smoke and mirrors.  Despite all his bluster Trump hasn't done anything to radically alter the situation in the US.  That may change with this "big beautiful bill" but Trump is mostly show and has already panicked when confronted by the impact all these deportations would have on the agricultural industry in the US.  He's offering waivers for migrant workers in the farm and leisure industries that rely heavily on this seasonal work force.  If Trump is Hitler in the making, he's a Charlie Chaplin version.

Nevertheless, there is a lot to worry about.  Things can go from comedy to horror at a moment's notice.  Just look at the ongoing saga of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who is now being charged with human trafficking after finally being brought back from El Salvador. His lawyers are keeping him in jail as he awaits trial as they fear Homeland Security will deport him to another country if he is released on bail. The Trump administration continues to insist he was part of the notorious MS-13 gang despite having no evidence to substantiate their claims.  Even El Salvadoran officials rejected the claim based on his innocuous tattoos.  No one would want to be in Kilmar's shoes, as the White House has vowed to make an example of him for no other reason than to sate Trump's enormous ego.

This is a man who has fallen off the deep end.  He now wants to stage an UFC event on the White House lawn to celebrate 250 years of independence next year.  Let's not forget that this was a man who fully embraced "professional wrestling" by taking part in some of their staged events. Here he was taking down Vince McMahon at a Wrestlemania event in 2007 and giving him a haircut.  Trump is now best buddies with Dana White and would love nothing more than to promote this close association, as it makes him look like a tough guy.

However, he wasn't so tough in his phone calls with Vladimir Putin in his ongoing attempt to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine.  No sooner did he get off the phone than Vlad launched another massive aerial bombardment of Kyiv.  Trump had earlier rerouted defense missiles destined for Ukraine to the Middle East, leaving Kyiv vulnerable to attack.  Vlad didn't waste any time.  Trump expressed his misgivings afterward, but acts powerless to do anything about it.  This after giving NATO all sorts of assurances in the wake of member countries agreeing to a massive increase in defense spending.  Whatever Vlad has on Donnie stops him in his tracks each and every time.  The Steele Dossier has haunted Trump for 9 years now, leading many to suspect that much of what Christopher Steele uncovered is true.

It never ceases to amaze how Trump is able to convince such a wide spectrum of the American electorate that he is this great tough guy, fighting for them, when the opposite is true.  However, the conned rarely blames the con man.  Instead, they take out their anger on those who point out they have been conned.  Listen to Chris Cuomo blame AOC for the passage of the "Big Beautiful Bill" and his big brother's loss in the New York City mayoral primaries. Truly breathtaking!  No one likes being told they were duped.

Mamdani's surprise win in the Democratic primary has both Republicans and conservative Democrats foaming at the mouth. Bill Ackman has vowed to put all his money behind the disgraced Eric Adams in an effort to fend off a socialist takeover of New York.  Well, Mamdani's idea of "socialism" is affordable housing and free transportation, something that seems to greatly appeal to New Yorkers.

I do think Progressives need to rethink their moniker "Democratic Socialists."  Bernie coined the term on the 2016 campaign trail, referring to the comprehensive social infrastructure in Denmark and Sweden. However, Europeans refer to themselves as Social Democrats, a far less controversial moniker.  By calling yourself "socialists" you invoke all the bad memories of Soviet socialism and German national socialism, which conservative pundits quickly pounce on.

I keep telling my wife there is hope.  America is not finished yet.  It has survived 249 years of upheavals including a horrible Civil War and will survive Trump.  It may not be the same after another four years of Trump but the Democrats could very well take back the House in the 2026 midterms and render Trump a lame duck.  Who knows, Dems might even take back the Senate in the wake of the bitter dissent over the "Big Beautiful Bill" that saw NC Senator Thom Tillis announce his retirement upon completion of his term.  North Carolina is very much a state Democrats could seize.

While this Fourth of July didn't give me any reason to celebrate, maybe next year's will, although I will be waiting until November to see the results of the midterm elections.