I have mulled over this letter’s focus and what its title should be. I have considered “Dodging the D.O.G.E” detailing discovered government waste, but it increases so fast that the numbers are quickly outdated. Check the DOGE website. (www.doge.gov)
Having already addressed the looming fiscal disaster if our spending and debt are not controlled in my March 26, 2025 letter, I have considered “Let’s Talk Tariffs.” However, tariffs are a complicated and intricate topic. The 500 words allowed could not do the topic justice.
I considered “Does the Government Owe Me or Do I Owe the Government” to discuss the role and responsibility of government to me and my responsibility to the government. However, I discussed that in my letter on Nov. 13, 2024.
Deciding at last, my topic is “Why Is There Smoke Coming Out of People’s Ears?”
I have pondered why, other than “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” some are so dedicated to resisting every action he takes even when they look foolish as his policies and actions prove beneficial. Even common-sense declarations or actions, some widely supported, seem to trigger the disparaging political class. I have concluded that the resistance so pervasive among both the political elite and resisters is because President Trump is playing “three-dimensional chess” and the resisters are trying to set up a checkers board. Checkers is a fine game, but much more complex is chess.
The term, “three-dimensional chess,” has become a colloquial metaphor describing complex, dynamic systems with many competing entities with social, political, diplomatic and warfare interests. To play “three-dimensional chess” requires a superior understanding and mastery of dynamic systems. To better understand Trump’s handling of these systems and entities and, thus, why smoke is constantly boiling out of some people’s ears, I suggest watching TV broadcasts other than CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS; reading news not originating with the Associated Press, The New York Times or The Washington Post; and evaluating your social media sources.
Critique what is omitted, what is presented with personal opinion as background and what is laced with inaccuracies. Spend time researching the history of the stock market and its fluctuations, of tariff history and uses, of national debt history, of what your tax dollars have been funding and the already revealed massive waste. Reflect on our social construct. Research our federal immigration statutes, our massive education expenditure yet our low performance, and read the Constitution.
Finally, ask, “Why have presidents, senators, congressmen let our country drift as it has for decades?” Answer: because they are politicians rather than statesmen. (A politician is skilled in politics to maneuver others for personal gain. A statesman is a leader in national-international affairs who promotes public good.) Ask, “What politician would take the vitriol and abuse President Trump is enduring for trying to correct decades of neglect resulting in our fiscal and thus our national decline?” Obvious answer: in recent history, NONE.
Thank you, President Trump, for taking the heat. Stay the course!
Bill McGaha, Franklin