No, Trump’s actions don’t cross a ‘red line’

(Official White House photo)

By Wayne Coogan

This is to unpack Bridget Smith’s thoughts expressed in her article, “Red Line.”

Smith says of Trump: “President Trump’s speech to the generals and admirals…crossed a red line for me…in a chaotic stream of consciousness style consisting of ignorance and idiocy, declared that we have an ‘enemy within’ in our country.”

Reply: There truly is an enemy within. Without exception, the descent into Marxist/socialist/communism has always resulted in poverty and abject suffering for the citizens of any nation it befalls. Anyone with reasonable cognition sees the USA is now suffering under that descent. It has been exacerbated by the overburdening of social entitlements by over 10 million illegal aliens recently ushered into our republic by communist political elements within. Crime rates in urban centers correlate these trends.

Smith says of Trump: “He was referring to our fellow American citizens, specifically anyone who disagrees with him and lives in an urban center, an American city. He thinks it might be a good idea to ‘use some of those cities as training grounds for our military’, which is a vindictive betrayal of the American people. It is unconnected from the reality of what the military actually is and does.”

Reply: There is precedent for this. Abraham Lincoln used federal troops to quell treasonous leftist Democrats who were angry at Republicans for promoting freedom for their slaves (see U.S. Civil War). Keeping with their tradition, leftist Democrats are now promoting similar anarchy and criminal mayhem in our urban centers—a blatant “vindictive betrayal of the American people.” Crime statistics don’t lie. Trump is implementing the military precisely for what it actually is and does.

Smith says of Trump, “Talk about treason and treachery…in case you didn’t notice during this very public speech, he told the world that he sent a nuclear submarine or two to the coast of Russia because ‘we were a little bit threatened by Russia recently.’ No military secret is safe with him. Oh, and in case you are wondering about what the submarine(s) may or may not do, he was quick to reassure us that ‘it’s just lurking, but I’m sure we’re not going to have to use it.’ In this incoherent speech that mangled the English language and exposed his declining cognitive abilities, he singled out certain cities as the targets for the deployment of the United States military. ‘But it seems that the ones that are run by the radical-left Democrats — what they’ve done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles — they’re very unsafe places, and we’re going to straighten them out one by one.’ He made sure that the generals and admirals and senior enlisted men and women knew that he was counting on them to carry out this unAmerican, illegal, unconstitutional, and just plain despicable action. ‘And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That’s a war, too. It’s a war from within.’”

Reply: U.S. subs have been lurking off all Russian Coasts for the last 75 years (ref. Ivy Bells, Smithsonian, The National Interest, etc). Trump is a master negotiator and gamesman. He knows precisely how to utilize information (threatening or otherwise) to posture the USA in its best position. His record of accomplishment in this regard is indisputable and obviously beyond Smith’s comprehension. The remainder of this portion of Smith’s commentary is repetitive of earlier portions.

Smith waxes philosophically: “The purpose of our military is to protect and to defend the people of the United States, not to deploy lethal force toward them because they criticize the president. It is well known that Trump tries to exact retribution from those who do not support him. It is not a healthy trait. In fact, as parents, we teach our children that revenge, i.e. punishing others for perceived real or unreal harm, is wrong. This is an example of him seeking vengeance because people in the cities mentioned above did not vote for him. One of my purposes in writing this is to remind our local leaders that these are serious matters that affect all of us, and that we expect them to stand firm against this movement toward an authoritarian government. I am asking our elected officials in Juneau — the mayor, the Juneau Assembly members, our state senator, our state representatives — to use their right to free speech and to condemn these words and actions from the president. Stand up for us and with us, for democracy, not for an authoritarian regime willing to deploy its military against American citizens. What else will stop him from coming for us and our children and grandchildren?”

Reply: Smith ignores that law (morality) is enforced with violence and the point of a gun. We see cops carrying billy clubs and guns; we see jails with fences and iron bars. Even Smith should understand that if she violates the law, her government will seek revenge (jails are full). Currently, that is not the case in America’s large urban centers; leftist activists flout the law with impunity. Not only must we resist an authoritarian government, we must also resist a government that shirks its responsibilities. Smith and socialist-communists seem unable to understand that as long as crime pays, we will have more and more crime. Our crime problems will not solve themselves; we must rescue our republic from its own foolishness. We elected Trump to guide us out of darkness.

In conclusion, Bridget Smith uses quite harsh and derogatory language in her personal criticisms of Trump. That said, I would always defend her right to do so. May she be blessed with truth; in whatever form it reaches her.

• Contact Wayne Coogan is a Juneau resident and business owner.