Some folks looked at Donald Trump and saw what he and they wanted  them to see: A striking swashbuckling billionaire who made it on his own, despite his family’s great wealth and influence.

A bodacious straight talking ‘stand-up-to-power,’ man of the people who represented success at any cost, especially if it was someone else’s cost. He didn’t discriminate in stiffing wealthy bankers and hard working craftsmen, poor laborers and over stretched suppliers, knowledge seeking students and well heeled investors.

All were treated equally by this hard edged, swaggering and smiling man of great confidence.

He took them all in.

His business plan was simple: make a good deal, then pay half of what you agreed. Isn’t that greed?  ‘Don’t like it?  Sue me.’

Many of those who took that route often died of short pockets on a very long line.

And if it seemed  that things were about to collapse, there was always PLAN “B.”  Yes, “B” was for Bankruptcy.

No, our hero didn’t go belly up, but the company that paid him so well  for his leadership, did.

The banks and the creditors, large and small, took the painful loss, and Our Hero, gets to claim the benefit of the huuuge tax loss.

He is just a smart businessman and gives bigly to both sides, and wakes up with a loophole under his pillow.

(Warning:  Although it might be okay with some politicians who assume you play both sides, do not play this game with Nazis and Jews. Nor with white supremacists and normal people.

They know the difference between brown noses and brown shirts.)

So how huuuge  a tax benefits do you get for buying both sides you ask?

A here-to-fore yet undiscovered personal  Trump modesty (and IRS/government overregulation) prevents us from actually knowing. For now.

But for sure, it’s in the ka-zillions. Believe me. Believe me.

The road to his many successes are paved with the broken bodies and spilt blood of his suppliers, contractors, investors and believers, mixed with your tax dollars.

So in their memory, upon those monuments he slaps His name.

And if wealth and glory were not enough, his talent and drive reward him with fame via a very popular reality TV show.

And lest we forget his greatness, he constantly reminds us. He should be our leader!

We should be like him.

Filled with confidence, knowledge, strength. Willing to take on the world and all who would deny us what is rightfully ours. Damn the details and the facts.

To hell with whatever stands in the way. If he can do it we can do it! He knows how to win. At everything.

If he has it all, we can have it all. We can all be winners.

Stomp on those who are unworthy and want to have that to which we are entitled!

Follow he who is successful, who is always right.

We believe what he believes!  Specifics be damned, I’m having what he’s having !

Defeat the others,  brand them  as  the liars, the lazy, the little, the losers.

Disrespect women, the disabled, those who are  different. Show disdain for captured authentic heroes,  opponents the sons of conspirators of presidential assassins,

Demonstrate disgust for the proud Gold Star parents of an American son who sacrificed his very life to literally save his fellow soldiers as they fought our country’s terrorist enemy.

And what did  those proud American parents do to warrant  his disgust?

They were peaceful practicing Muslims who legally came as immigrants and helped to make America greater.

He clawed and bluffed his way to the top, professing to have all the answers. A nation of believers, we failed to do due diligence. And he took us in. .

And now, we are at a moment  of grave national crisis, a time we cry out for a president’s strong moral leadership to bring and hold our beloved country together as  did our first Republican President, lest he become the last.

After the president struts across the world stage, as if seductively and boldly shedding his every vernier, he stands before us completely exposed.

Except for the mask.

Need we pull at it further to demonstrate that  the man endowed with power and pride, great riches and fame, whatever property or company he craves,that this sad pitiful  man remains dangerous and unfulfilled, as he has no soul?

We appeal to the grown ups in the Republican Party:  Be the patriots we know you can be.

You have for the moment a monopoly on all the pieces. And as it’s  only you that can , we  beg of you to intervene.

Send him to his room.

Lest some misguided sort overturns the game board .

 

Former Congressman Gary Ackerman

Roslyn