Many on the political left these days are suffering from an extreme case of ATDS — Anti-Trump Derangement Syndrome. In the face of extremely positive economic news, the left searches only for the negative. Workers are receiving billions of dollars in bonuses and salary increases resulting directly from the new tax law, and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi can only remark that workers are getting “crumbs.” African-American unemployment is at an all-time low, yet liberals only point out that it had been going down before President Trump took office.
The left has been completely blinded by ATDS. Whatever happened to fairness?
I do not like Donald Trump. He can be rude, crude, boorish, insensitive, rough, gruff and unthinking. He’s an egotist of the highest order.
But I believe he cares very deeply about our country. Here’s why.
Trump has all the money in the world. Before deciding to run for president, he enjoyed a lifestyle where he could do anything he wanted. He had power, fame, fortune and celebrity. But he gave it all up and put himself in a position where he and his family are subjected to constant public scrutiny, attacks and ridicule every single day.
Why? Consider this — he actually DOES love this country and felt he could do something to save us from the danger he and many others saw coming. A danger that was clear and present — the danger of falling into the abyss of socialism.
The extreme liberal/socialist road we have been traveling on for many years has now gotten us to a critical point in our society. After “investing” trillions of tax dollars trying to solve our social problems during the past 65 years, we must face the reality of what we have to show for it — high crime, rampant drugs, poor schools, rotting inner cities, deteriorating race relations and an underclass of citizens not only dependent upon the government for their needs — food, clothing and shelter — but also their “wants” — cellphones, computers and TVs.
This underclass believes it is “entitled” to these things when, in reality, the only things that any of us are entitled to are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (i.e., opportunity).
In my opinion, one of the most destructive words in the English language is “entitlements.” Coined many years ago, that term and its attendant philosophy have done more harm to the fabric, work ethic, self-respect and confidence of Americans than anything else in our history.
So along comes Donald J. Trump to disrupt everything. He was given no chance to win the Republican nomination, but he did. He was given no chance of beating Hillary Clinton, but he did. He was castigated for making campaign promises that he “would never keep,” but he has. And he was ridiculed for proposing economic policies that would “never work,” but they are.
Isn’t it time to start recognizing some of Trump’s accomplishments? What about the concept of fairness? When it comes to Trump, there are many who disagree with him and/or don’t like him — and that’s fine. In our society, everyone is entitled to their opinion. That’s what makes America great.
However, for most anti-Trumpers, fairness has become irrelevant — and that’s not fine. When Trump does or says something that’s wrong, unseemly or inappropriate (not a political position you may disagree with), he deserves to be called out. But when he does something good, positive or praiseworthy, credit should be given as well. In today’s extremely polarized political atmosphere, this unfortunately doesn’t happen.
Our system of government is based on a two-party democratic republic where at any given point in time, one party may be in power and the other not. The party not in power has come to be known as the loyal opposition. However, since the day Trump was inaugurated, there not only hasn’t been a loyal opposition but the opposition has become a self-declared “resistance” movement, and just about everything Trump has said or done has been resisted.
Notwithstanding that, his list of accomplishments in his first year in office is impressive by any measurement. Some may disagree, but it’s undeniable that much has been achieved.
Please understand, I’m not trying to make anyone a fan of Donald Trump. Frankly, this really isn’t about our president — it’s about American political discourse and the principles and values that have characterized it since our nation’s founding.
When it comes to this particular president, fairness and objectivity have completely disappeared. We need to get them back. The vicious “resistance” needs to end and revert back to the loyal opposition.
If these things happen, our country and all of us will be much the better for it.
William Z. Fox is founder, chairman and CEO of Fox Residential Auctions LLC and Fox Commercial Auctions LLC. He is an author, public speaker and pro-Israel activist. He and his wife, Myra, live in Baltimore and have four daughters and 10 grandchildren.
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