The Good Fight
“Wise people learn from others' mistakes; most of us must learn from our o0wn; and fools? They never learn.”
Rubin “Hurricane” Carter
At this strange and dangerous time in our nation's history, it is important to be aware of past events that are similar to today's. For it is said that history does not repeat, but instead, rhymes. Many people are correctly comparing today's events to Watergate; however, it is equally important to consider some of the dynamics of the Iran-Contra scandal.
Because that scandal was so complex, and because Congress opted to not “follow the money,” let's simply focus on one central issue. Within the Reagan administration, the National Security Council began operating as a “shadow government.” Its members determined that they could get away with breaking the law, ignoring the Congress, and even by-passing the State Department, in foreign affairs. They opted to do business with foreign governments, and mercenary groups, using foreign sources for money and weapons.
It was, in the most literal sense, an attempted coup. Their actions were exactly the type of thing that the Founding Fathers hoped to prevent, when making our Constitution. The failure to “follow the money” by Congress was an error that allowed the germ of Iran-contra to remain, embedded within our federal government. In this context, the Trump-Russia scandal is the natural result.
Luckily, those in the Trump circle have not learned from others' mistakes, or their own. It is not an administration that is deep in talent. And those who grasp what is happening are not able to influence Trump.
We are living in a historic era. It's important to not be a mere spectator. Instead, be a participant. The grass roots being active participants in our government, and the greater society, is a vital part of our constitutional democracy. Every generation is faced with the specter of losing those rights and responsibilities required to keep our democracy alive. A heck of a lot has been lost in our lifetimes. Let's fight the Good Fight, and improve things for the future.
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