Dump Trump, or Promote Him?
Roman military leader and co-dictator with Julius Caesar, Marcus Licinius Crassus gave us the word “crass” (which in Latin means “thick,” “broad,” or “fat”). Crassus was the wealthiest man in Rome; it was his predatory ambition that, in combination with Caesar’s military genius, helped to overthrow the Roman Republic and bring about the rise of the empire. For those of us fortunate not to live in the time of the Caesars, Crassus’ career is an object lesson of the perils of conferring the scepter of political power upon those who have enriched themselves by exploiting the machinery of the state.
Right now, all eyes are on the campaign of outspoken billionaire real estate mogul and entertainer Donald Trump. The popular appeal of “the Donald” is understandable: He is unafraid to taunt the mainstream media or say outrageous things about Rosie O’Donnell and other perennial objects of right-wing scorn. He also has spoken strongly against policies of the last Republican president, charging, for instance, that the Bush administration’s claim that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction prior to our invasion was a lie. In this and other ways, he has firmly positioned himself as an anti-establishment candidate. But his crassness is also undeniable. Trump is as foul-mouthed and venal a figure as has ever defaced the American body politic, as even a quick YouTube search will disclose. He has not shied away from dropping the “f-bomb” and other, even fouler epithets in public addresses, and has boasted in his own writings of his womanizing and libertine lifestyle. He has made much of his fortune selling vice — gambling and exotic dancing in particular — in his casinos.
Leaving aside matters of character and conduct, Donald Trump’s conservative credentials are, as we shall show, a mixed bag, regardless of what his fan base now believes. A President Donald Trump, for all the bluster and outrageous conduct, would probably be little different in substance than many of the GOP establishment politicos he rails against.
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