“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” — Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens.
It was the best of times,
During Biden’s four years, we began to see sunlight in his affirmative action in dealing with the COVID-19 virus. The economy was turning around, and Infrastructure Day became a reality as projects were started and became realities rather than talking points. The economy started booming, and unemployment was at an all-time low.
It was the worst of times,
During the Trump administration, COVID-19 was running rampant throughout the country. People are dying from a virus Trump didn’t take seriously, that is until he contracted it. Even then, he refused to acknowledge it entirely. Had he taken it more seriously, perhaps we would not have had the death rate we did, but he didn’t, and we did.
When I read about events in the US under the current occupant of the White House, I turn to the quote cited above. It helps put things in a better perspective as to why we must understand and pay attention to what we see happening now that Trump has returned and is running amok with his evil intent.
It was the age of wisdom,
Wisdom in those who occupy the White House is often missing by many of the men who sat behind the Resolute Desk. However, for reasons many will see as partisan, wisdom seems to emanate from Democrats more than Republicans. I read and see Democrats offer solutions, whereas Republicans offer only rhetorical slogans that drip with their racial animosity and vicious vitriol, totally devoid of any sense of wisdom.
It was the age of foolishness,
No one person or political party does not own foolishness. But there is always an exception to every rule. It seems over time. The Republican Party seems to have indeed embraced foolishness in their unquestioning loyalty to Trump with his vacuous promises to make America great again. By voting against their own best interests because he promised he would be a wall to keep immigrants out. A wall started but never completed. A wall he said could never be scaled but was. A wall that would be so beautiful but is rusting in the areas where it stands and in need of repair. Instituting tariffs that hurt farmers significantly, his administration had to find ways to bail the farmers out because of his stupidity about tariffs.
And yet, there are still those who believe Trump when he tells them tariffs will bring in barrels and barrels of money, only to find out once again that it will cost them higher prices on anything imported from any country Trump has sanctioned with his foolish tariffs.
It was the epoch of belief,
When Biden won, he wasted little time working to set right what Trump had set asunder during his disastrous four years in the White House. Biden gave the country something to believe in. He said he would work to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, and he made that happen. He spoke of bringing chip manufacturing back to the US, which he did by announcing a new chip facility slated for construction in Syracuse, New York.
It was the epoch of incredulity,
Trump is a purveyor of untruths he spins as truths. He uses his charm and ability to make a lie sound so truthful people will forgo their good common sense and fall for the lies he spins. The Black Widow spider spins a beautiful web, but in the end, those trapped in it become her future meal. With Trump, the lies he tells and gets people to believe will ultimately cost them their freedom.
It was the season of Light,
When Trump left the White House, showing the utmost disrespect by not even attending the inauguration of Biden. The newly elected President didn’t allow Trump’s boorish behavior to ruin the occasion for the country, and once he got behind the Resolute desk, he started a season of light for the country. He attacked the problems before him by dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, making the economy productive in a way Trump still envies even though he won’t admit it. Showed the world what the US stands for in providing the help Ukraine needed to push back against Putin, who invaded his country and began massacring his Ukrainian people because Putin sees himself as a modern-day czar of Russia. Under President Biden, unemployment went down. He beat the Saudis at their own game to avoid a potential oil shortage here in the US by deftly using the country’s reserve and buying oil when the price was down to refill the reserve.
Indeed, it was a season of light with President Biden sitting behind the Resolute Desk.
It was the season of Darkness,
Darkness seems to be Trump’s standard form of operation. Nothing is in the light, and everything is in secret, which is Trump’s preferred way to conduct what he calls ‘business.’ Why? What type of person works in darkness? Those prone to conducting activities would rather people have as little information as possible so they can work in a questionable and nefarious manner.
It was the spring of hope,
Bidin’s four years as President did indeed inspire hope. We had the privilege of witnessing how the presidency is supposed to work. The country was pulling itself out of a horrible time through his work. We got a view of how our county could work in the way the founders hoped it would.
Under Biden’s administration, we had a president who understood the concepts of democracy, took his oath of office seriously, and understood the principles that are the foundation for the democracy we presently enjoy.
His four years in office gave many a sense of what this country could be about. The things Biden was striving to do were bold and frighten those who do not want to see the country become what it is supposed to be.
It was the winter of despair,
Biden is out, and Trump is back in. Biden, a lawyer, Senator, and President, believes in this country and its foundational principles. Trump is a failed businessman with no accurate or relevant political experience but a great grifter and womanizer who gives the Devil a run for his money when it comes to lying and the commission of the seven deadly sins,
‘The Lord hates six things in fact, seven are detestable to him: arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil, a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.” — Proverbs 6:16–19
In a White House meeting with President Zelensky, we saw despair rise as those in Ukraine felt it, as well as all the Ukrainians displaced in Europe and those who are here in the United States who looked to the US for support, hoping they could return to their homeland. With Trump and Vance essentially throwing Zelensky to the wolves, their despair continues as Trump plots wicked schemes against Zelensky.
For the next four years, with Trump and Vance as President and Vice President, the country stands to be seen as a failed nation under the leadership of these two morons. Neither Trump nor Vance believes in the democratic process. Trump wants to be a dictator, and Vance supports this as a follower of Curtis Yarvin, who advocates replacing democracy with an autocratic corporate state run by a signal business leader who would essentially be a dictator.
If you think Trump is not serious about staying in office, I suggest you reassess your thinking, as Dickens was right; we are in a winter of despair.