RUTHFULLY YOURS

The driving force behind Trump’s winning for America is his powerful patriotism.  Patriotism is a virtue that our politicians talk about a lot, in utterly empty ways.  Many Democrats think it is a vice.  The left wing of the Democratic Party mistakes it for white nationalism.  Trump lives American patriotism.  It is the reason he ran for president and the reason he won.  He knows we are a great country.

Trump recognizes and is comfortable with power – his personal power, America’s power.  He does not think power is toxic.  He thinks American and presidential power is wonderful and meant to be used for our common, national good.

Our president loves to build.  He used to build big apartment and hotel towers with his name on them.  Now he is building up America, because he loves America.  President Trump’s patriotism has these two equal parts: a strong economy and a strong military.  His eye is always on the prize of jobs and security.

Patriotism overflows in his speech on achieving a quarter of 4.1% growth for the economy and the return of fallen heroes’ remains from North Korea.

In everything we do, in every action we take, we are fighting for loyal, hardworking, patriotic citizens of our blessed nation.  We’re making our country great again.  We’re respected again all over the world.  Our military will soon be stronger than it’s ever been, by far.

Unlike his political rivals, President Trump wants to use our full power.  We do not need to be intimidated by anybody – not China, not the E.U., not Russia, not Iran, not terrorists.  We are the powerhouse.  Trump seeks to create win-win situations, but he will not compromise on American interests.  If someone is going to lose, it is going to be the other side, not we.

Trump the builder likes to do things.  He likes responsibility.  He likes seeing concrete outcomes.  He knows that America can do things.  We are so rich and so powerful as a country that we can do everything we need to do to promote American security and prosperity.  Using American power for these ends is nothing to be ashamed of.  It is his job.

We can call North Korea’s bluff.  We can bomb ISIS out of Syria.  We can force the E.U. to cave on putting high tariffs on American goods.  We can say no to China stealing our innovations, our products, and our jobs.

We don’t need to fear anybody and anything.  We’re the big guys.

We can move the embassy to Jerusalem.  You don’t avoid doing the right thing because of threats from pipsqueak terrorists like the Palestinians.

How refreshing and heartening this is to his voters.  Trump has applied the power of his pugilistic personality to work for us, for the welfare of individual Americans and for our wellbeing as a nation.  He sincerely has heart for ordinary people.

We see it in how he fights for better treatment for our men and women in uniform – military, police, firefighters, border patrol.  As a patriot, he respects, even reveres, the individuals who dedicate, and sometimes sacrifice their lives, to keep us safe.

We see it in how he fights for jobs for workers, white, black and brown, men and women.  Patriotism is love of country and loyalty to our fellow citizens.  A steelworker, returned to work under President Trump’s flourishing economy, teared up as he told a reporter: “it’s just nice to know that we’ve got someone fighting for us.”

We are so sick of most Republican politicians, who seem to care about only their personal wealth and power.  They are not dependent on their voters, and they care only about their donors and relationships with other D.C. power-brokers, and the lobbyists who will hire them after they retire.  They like power – their personal power, power to flout the desires of their voters.

We are even sicker of the Democrat’s anti-patriotism.  Obama’s core belief was the moral necessity to atone for American power.  President Obama and his enthusiastic progressive followers, want us to be a less powerful country.   Obama wanted us to have a smaller economy – 2% growth was an acceptable new normal to him.  Democrats actively wish to destroy our coal and fracking industry and jack up energy prices, which shrinks the whole economy.  They want more people dependent on welfare, not working.

Obama’s international policies aimed at less power for America.  He appallingly invited Russia into the Middle East, something American presidents had successfully blocked since Eisenhower.  Obama withdrew from our alliances with Eastern Europe, the Saudis, Israel, and Egypt while building up our enemy, Iran.  He redefined our refugee policy to include every potential victim of domestic violence or crime, throwing our borders open to all the poor people of the world.  He actively worked to weaken our military and starve our forces of the men and materiel they need to protect us.

Another constructive part of President Trump’s patriotism is never recognized and lauded as he deserves.  As the president said, “When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.”  He includes the whole country in his love of country – white, black, brown, rich, poor, male, female, city, country.  He has a heart for the desires of Americans in every demographic category, who want “great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.”  Focusing on these human goals brings us together.

President Trump has earned boasting rights on delivering for all Americans.

We are in the midst of the longest positive job-growth streak in history.  New unemployment claims have recently achieved their lowest level in almost half a century.  The African American unemployment rate has achieved the lowest level in recorded history.  African American unemployment is the best it’s ever been in the history of our country.  The Hispanic unemployment rate has reached the lowest level, likewise, in history.  The Asian unemployment rate has recently reached the lowest level, again likewise, in history.  Women unemployment rate recently reached the lowest level in 65 years.  And soon that will be in history.  Give it another two or three weeks.

He wants us all to be winners.  He wants to win for all of us.  And he is.

In a speech to veterans on his first Fourth of July as president, our commander in chief began with a servant’s heart.  He got the V.A. reform that has eluded Washington for 40 years – the ability to fire do-nothing, incompetent bureaucrats so service to veterans could be improved.   “Now you can say, ‘You’re fired.’  I can promise you, we will always take care of our great veterans.”

After that, he talked about his vision of patriotism.  He could have been talking about himself.

Thank you.  I love you, too.  You have shared your blood, you’re poured your love, and you’ve bared your soul in defense of our country, our people, and our great American flag.  Your loyalty to our American nation is measured not in words but deeds … you’ve run past the gates of hell to fight and to win for America[.] … The story of America’s men and women in uniform is the story of freedom overcoming oppression, the strong protecting the weak and good defeating evil.

Trump’s last words to the vets: “I want you all, and all our wounded warriors to know, you have an entire nation, of more than 300 million people behind you.  And our nation is getting strong again.  Have you noticed?”

We have noticed.