photo by: Creators Syndicate

Keith Raffel

Disregard Trump’s rhetoric. He is an arsonist who’s aiming his flamethrower at the pillars of what does make America great.

Science: Since 1950, world-changing innovations such as the internet, microprocessors, vaccines and GPS have all emerged from American labs. Scientists working at U.S. universities have received 40-50% of Nobel Prizes in the sciences over the past 75 years, and their share has been even higher in recent decades. Nevertheless, the Trump administration is slashing the research funding that led to the breakthroughs. Professor Carol Greider, herself a Nobel winner, co-authored a piece that warned against “devastating cuts that will cause unnecessary deaths, cost billions in economic activity, and have already resulted in tens of thousands of jobs losses.” Trump is burning down the structure that’s made the United States the world’s leader in science and technology.

Military: Trump pays no heed to George Washington’s warning that the army “is a dangerous instrument to play with.” The 47th president has sent soldiers to patrol American streets — illegally, according to at least four courts. Six members of Congress who’d served in the military or CIA posted a video reminding the armed forces of their sworn duty not to carry out illegal orders. Trump reacted by accusing the six of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH.” At the same time, Trump has ordered the navy to attack ships off the coast of South America in apparent violation of the laws of war.

Immigration: In his last speech as president, Ronald Reagan said, “Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas.” Without new Americans, Reagan warned, “Our leadership in the world would soon be lost.” In contrast, Trump is banning the citizens of whole nations from even applying for entry, slashing the refugee cap and turning legal immigration into an obstacle course. Trump has declared, “We’re going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country.” It’s a peculiar stance for the grandson of German immigrants, the son of a Scottish mother and the father of four children born to women from Slovenia and Czechia (also known in English as the Czech Republic).

Justice: In his confirmation hearing, now-Chief Justice John Roberts promised, “I will decide every case… according to the rule of law, without fear or favor.” Trump, on the other hand, is using the country’s justice system to sow fear and bestow favor. He has demanded the Justice Department indict his political enemies such as former national security adviser John Bolton, New York State Attorney General Letitia James and ex-FBI head James Comey. Federal Judge Loren AliKhan wrote, “Law firms across the country are entering into agreements with the government out of fear that they will be targeted next and that coercion is plain and simple.” At the same time, Trump has pardoned over 1,500 insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol in support of his efforts to stay in office. He also pardoned billionaire Changpeng Zhao who’d pleaded guilty to money laundering. Zhao had been doing business that supported World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture run by Trump’s sons, Eric and Donald Jr. The halls of justice are burning.

Alliances: The NATO Treaty has protected its members from Russian aggression for over three-quarters of a century. In 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower told NATO heads of state that they must “create and sustain within the free world the necessary strength to make certain of the common security” against the Soviet Union. In contrast, the Trump administration’s newly declared national security policy focuses on the internal politics of European countries rather than the external threats to them from Russia or elsewhere. Reuters quotes Krisjanis Karins, the former prime minister of NATO member Latvia, as saying, “Moscow has been trying to break the transatlantic bond for years, and now it seems the greatest disruptor of this bond is the U.S. itself.”

Public Health: Since 1900, the expected lifespan of Americans has increased from 47 to 79 years. This startling improvement can be attributed in no small part to improved public health including the development of vaccines. Measles, polio, diphtheria and smallpox have all virtually disappeared. The Trump administration is now undermining the requirement of childhood vaccines, the development of new vaccines for cancer and tuberculosis and research into potential pandemics from bird flu and the like. Loosening controls on air and water pollution, together with born-again support for carbon-based fuels, are bound to increase deaths as well.

Of course, there’s peril in spelunking through the caverns of Trump’s mind. Still, looking at Trump as an arsonist helps understand the motivations behind his policy of destruction. I am no psychologist, but here’s a list of arsonists’ motives drawn from academic journals.

— Intent to cause harm or damage

— A repeated pattern

— Revenge/anger

— Profit

— Crime concealment

— Pyromania (delight in watching the fires)

— Lack of regard for consequences

— Opportunity and access

This inventory fits Trump like a made-to-measure suit. We have a political arsonist in the White House. Trump is not making America great again. He is setting it aflame.

— Keith Raffel is a syndicated columnist with Creators.