Now that we have elected Donald Trump, we must get ready for all the darkness to come. Trump is surrounding himself with billionaires, generals and ideologs. The billionaires (Ross Mnuchin, et al) will advise him on how best to execute the final demise of the middle-class as they roll back worker and consumer protections. To ensure this, Trump has announced Andrew Puzder, an avowed anti-labor ideolog, as his pick to head the Department of Labor. Mr. Puzder will make sure that labor laws are enforced (or not) to the benefit of the billionaires. Trump’s promise to keep jobs in the U.S. will come at the price of third-world wages for middle-class workers.
The selection for the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, is an ideolog who represents the oil and gas industry and denies the existence of human-generated climate change. The EPA, as its name suggests, is an agency whose goal is to protect our environment. Yet, Mr. Pruitt would work to weaken environmental protections of our air, land and water. By allowing the oil and gas (and other) industries more freedom to pollute, the profits for his billionaire business cronies will increase and Mr. Pruitt will be handsomely rewarded by the industry for his advocacy of environmental destruction.
This cabinet, the “Legion of Doom,” will have profound negative effects on our country, its democracy, its economy and its environment. Each of its members support the enrichment of the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the 99 percent. Income and wealth disparities have been growing over the last 50 years and will increase at an exponential rate over the next four years.
As patriotic citizens, we have but one choice — resistance! We must fight this evil administration at every step to prevent as much damage as we can. Call your senators and representative in Washington and tell them that we need to stop this madness. Also, to the extent that you are able, contribute time and/or money to organizations such as EarthJustice and the Center for Biological Diversity which will need help to fight in the courts and on the ground against the worst abuses to come.
With craven Republicans controlling both the House of Representatives and the Senate, we cannot expect them to resist the Trump administration and to stand up for any moral or ethical principles.
David Linn
Ocean Shores
