Trump’s Inheritance.

by Currently... with Jack

Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States.

In January of next year, he will inherit the office of the world’s most powerful politician, as Americans bid adieu to Barack Obama’s presidency, and control over the House and Senate to the Republican Party. While many on the Left have decried Donald Trump as a racist, sexist, bigot — to use Hillary Clinton’s words, “A basket of deplorables”, and while such criticism of Trump isn’t that far-fetched, the country — particularly the Left, must not forget what he inherits from President Obama.

Obama’s presidency, while promising change, has produced very little progress in America. While things have undoubtedly improved under his guidance — up to 30 million people now have healthcare that didn’t before, the economy is stronger now than it was under George Bush, Cuba and the US have reopened diplomatic ties and some trade. Iran is now not on the path to obtaining a nuclear weapon, thanks to the nuclear deal agreed between the West, spearheaded by the US, and the Shi’a Islamist theocracy. While these are things to pat him on the back for, much has remained the same, or regressed.

In terms of foreign policy, this is where I feel Obama has really let the Left down. While I give him due praise for orchestrating an agreement with Iran, there is more to criticize him on, than there is to praise him. Whether it’s his military interventions in one form or another in seven different countries: Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya. Or, his failure to close Guantanamo Bay (as he promised us all when he campaigned with “change we could believe in”), or an expansionist policy in regards to surveillance and intelligence agencies, see: the NSA. He’s also expanded the use of drones as a weapon of war, conducting far more strikes than George W. Bush ever did.

Trump will inherit an open Gitmo, a vast surveillance and intelligence apparatus with  unprecedented capability and power, an ongoing campaign of interventionism in the War on Terror, the capability to unilaterally declare war, without Congressional approval. He will also inherit a disaffected populous, that has lost all faith in it’s elected officials to serve it’s needs and wants. He will inherit deep mistrust and rebellion against business-as-usual politics.

While there are reasons to fear Trump’s presidency, based upon his policy positions and some of the things he has said, the Left must not, in it’s fear, lose sight of what he inherits, and under which Party and President that inheritance was left unto him.

As a friend said, “You cannot give yourself powers that you don’t want your opposition to inherit.” And that’s what America now faces.