Conservative values can't be found in Donald Trump's actions
There is a tendency among some folks to get conservative values and Donald Trump confused. After all he is a Republican, and he is an elected president.
But the political party and the presidential title do not necessarily define the person. Rather, it is our own actions that define who each of us are, and that includes Donald Trump. And just as you take ownership of your actions, Donald Trump needs to be held responsible for his actions as well.
To be clear, everything that that this president does is not bad. However, there are a litany of things that Donald Trump does that are outrageous, not in our country’s best interests, dangerous and, quite honestly, embarrassing.
Here is one example.
During the run-up to the presidential election, Donald Trump said on "Fox & Friends" that families of terrorists should be targeted and killed. This means that the United States of America should target and kill women and children, grandmas and grandpas, friends and neighbors, and those who happen to be in proximity of anyone who we define as a terrorist.
"I would knock the hell out of them," Donald Trump told "Fox & Friends".
When pushed about these civilian casualties, Trump admitted that sometimes families and other innocents are being used as human shields. Even then, he added emphatically, the families of terrorists should indeed be targeted. Winning a war is more important than the innocents who are killed along the way.
Donald Trump was clear. “I mean, one of the problems we have or one of the reasons we're so ineffective, you know, they're trying to, they're using them as shields. It's a horrible thing," but protecting them is not in our national best interests.
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Now move the calendar forward a year into the presidency.
Donald Trump recently called the CIA onto the red carpet. Donald Trump wanted to know why the agency did not kill a terrorist’s family during a drone strike.
The Washington Post reported that this conversation resulted from Donald Trump being shown a video of a drone strike in Syria. In the video it was clear that the CIA drone command had waited a while until the target terrorist was outside of his family’s home before striking and killing the terrorist.
Rather than offer congratulations for killing the terrorist, Donald Trump was upset.
He wanted to know, “Why did you wait?”
The CIA head of drone operations explained that his people utilized existing techniques and rules of engagement to limit the number of civilian casualties. Donald Trump reminded the commander that on the campaign trail in 2015 that Donald Trump had said that he would “take out” the families of terrorists, and he expected it to be done.
Is this what America First has come to mean? It is not our families that are being killed, so why do we care? It is difficult to even find the words to express the outrage over such actions by a president of what was considered at one time the greatest nation on earth.
Here is another example closer to home.
In the name of Make America Great Again, Donald Trump has singled out a number of minorities to take the brunt of his ill-conceived trade war with China, Mexico, Canada and others. Among these minorities are farmers.
As farmers know, their interests and well-being have become dependent on foreign markets. Farmers stay in business by selling their products through cooperatives and other organizations - some of these products end up in foreign countries. To the tune of $140 billion. With a trade surplus to the advantage of the United States of $21 billion.
And, now thanks to a tariff war initiated by Donald Trump, China and other massive trading partners of the United States are contemplating crippling tariffs on American farming products. The farming industry may be facing financial ruin.
Donald Trump then hit farmers with his other fist. He has eliminated the only pool of workers still willing to pick their crops - people from south of our border. He is deporting those here illegally. While he has deliberately slowed the process for workers to enter the country legally. Crops cannot wait on bureaucratic wheels when they grind to a standstill. And American workers will simply not do the job.
Find more of Gindlesperger's columns here.
How does all of this affect you?
One. The Chinese are ticked, and they are the largest holder of American debt. Now they are hesitating on buying more of it.
Two. Historically, trade wars catch on fire and can become shooting wars.
Three. For those whose retirements are reliant on the stock market, volatility and falling values are already taking shape.
Four. When farmers go out of business, we have less to eat.
Five. As inflation catches hold resulting from reduced taxation, interest rates rise, mortgages cost more, cars cost more, and so does everything else.
Six. And you might want to read the label in your clothing. “Made in China” clothing is about to cost you a lot more.
Finally. We may or may not agree on what are conservative values. But we certainly should agree on what is not. Outrageous, impetuous behavior is not a conservative value.
Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Shippensburg University trustee and founder of eLynxx Solutions that provides software for managing direct mail, marketing and print. He is a board member, campaign advisor, published author, and Talk Radio 103.7 commentator. He can be reached at Bill.Gindlesperger@eLynxx.com