If it makes money, it must be okay.

Despite my opposition to Donald Trump being elected to the Presidency, I remained open minded and decided to give him a chance.  After all, the Washington leadership will not let him go too crazy right?  They will keep him in check and make sure that political convention would take over during his honeymoon.  I think we all assumed we would have to swallow some jagged little pills to get started, but hey it won't be a big deal.  I'm a reasonable, educated adult and I know it will be okay, right?

As usual I am off the mark.  To say that I'm disappointed is an understatement.  I am not proud of us right now.  Yes, our leadership is failing us but we are also not behaving as a people either.  I've struggled with how to approach our new lows and why I think we are headed down a horrible path but I think I have narrowed it down.  I have complained out a Trump Presidency before but I think a conversation I had with my daughter might sum it up.

One morning during election season, she asked my why I vote the way I do.  I will tell you up front that I will never influence my kids political affiliation.  They need to find their way just like I did.  I told her that because I grew up poor, I will never vote for someone that I thought would help keep poor people poor.  I feel that I have honored that over my voting career especially with the Presidency.  I am seeing ever so clearly why I could not vote for George W. Bush and now Donald Trump.  The theme for both Presidencies seems to be simple, if it makes money then it can't be wrong.

I think by now it is well documented that Halliburton profited greatly from a war in Iraq during the Bush Presidency.  This company was well connected with members of the administration and made them quite a bit wealthier.  The public complained about no-bid contracts and the legitimacy of the stated purpose for being there.  Regardless, we continued on and many died while some made millions.  Our leadership told us we had an enemy to defeat.  Looking back with the 9/11 Report in mind, we now know that Saudi Arabia had more to do with that tragic day than Iraq did.

Fast forward to the events of the past week.  Trump implements a 90 day ban on immigration from seven countries that are majority Muslim countries.  As the story unfolds and protests mount, the graphic below surfaces.  It was posted by the Christian Left so I waited to find it in another source and it came up in a news broadcast last night.  It's a telling graphic that illustrates my point.  If the people from these countries are such a threat to the American people, why are they not all banned?  Because the bottom four have business interests with President Trump.  Notice that Saudi Arabia is still getting a pass.

The hypocrisy that we support for financial gain has plagued our great nation for a very long time.  It is not a new concept and definitely didn't start with Bush or Trump.  I think we have seen this enough to know when we are being taken for a ride.  We allow this and are too ashamed to admit we elected another fraud.  So many of my Trump supporting friends are defending this executive order and it saddens me to know that they are simply supporting the notion that if it makes money, it must be okay.  The immigration ban does not support the American values that we were founded upon but that is not important when money is involved.  President Trump is making it all too clear that he is taking this to a very high level and will not polish it up for political purposes.  So buckle up America.  We have four years of this to endure or the possibility of impeachment, which ever comes first.  I do not have any ill will towards the office of the President, but we have not got off to a good start with the nations of the world taking note.