from original photo by Pablo Padila courtesy of Unsplash

Why Trump Should be Tried For Treason and Crimes Against Humanity

Eric Weiner

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By Eric G. Weiner

I am so sick of this hypocrisy. Trump whose closest aids and associates have been convicted of lying and election felonies, keeps talking of election fraud.

Lest we forget:

Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen, guilty among other things of campaign finance violations, Michael Flynn, National Security Advisor, guilty of lying to the FBI about his secret pre-election discussions with Russia, Rick Gates, Trump campaign official, guilty of lying to the FBI and Conspiracy Against the United States, Paul Manaforte, Trump Campaign Chairman, guilty of Conspiracy Against the United States, Bank Fraud, and Obstruction of Justice, Campaign advisor George Papadopoulos, guilty of lying to the FBI, campaign advisor Roger Stone, guilty of witness tampering, lying to congress, and obstruction of justice.

And let us not forget the election in 2016 so ably assisted by Russia and Cambridge Analytica (who gave us the gifts of Breitbart News, Steve Bannon, and Kellyanne Conway), illegally using the data of private U.S. citizens to target voters with fake news. With all this, he is declaring the vote fraudulent. This while his appointed head of the Postal Service has done everything in his power to impede the delivery of absentee votes of those who unlike his true believers believe the Covid Virus is real and prefer not to risk their lives and the lives of their fellow citizens at polling stations. Trump supporters are more likely to show up at the polls trusting Trump that Covid is all a “Democratic hoax”, or else, a hoax perpetuated by greedy doctors and nurses, depending on which day you attend to Trump’s declarations of inanity.

He is declaring a stolen election while his minions have done everything possible to eliminate ballot boxes and polling stations in districts where there are large minority populations, or registered Democrats.

Trump should know about voter fraud all right, as he has been the prime beneficiary of it. He is following a long corrupt political tradition of blaming the other side for the very crimes he commits.

For his willful, intentional attempt to undermine, distort, interfere with, and encourage the violent disruption and intimidation of voters, as well as the counting process, he is threatening the very foundation of the democracy of the United States. For this he should be charged, tried and convicted, of the crime of Treason.

Even if it could be shown that he actually believed the bullshit he has been spewing, at the very least he is guilty of reckless endangerment. To spew such hateful ideas without any regard for evidence or proof is itself, when it comes from the President of the United States, is itself an act of criminal reckless endangerment.

The same can be said of all that he has said about the virus. He has blamed everyone from China, the World Health Organization, The Center of Disease Control, and Democrats. And, of course, of himself, he has said that he has “zero responsibility” “absolutely none”. This while denigrating the use of masks, personally endangering people at his gatherings and rallies, and suggesting the use of drugs that his friends have financial interests in, that have proven to be of little or no use.

His continual disregard of his medical experts shows an indifference to, or even hostility for the public welfare of his citizens it is his express job to protect. His unwillingness to provide emergency aid to states he didn’t think supported him sufficiently, constitutes an attack on the American population itself and has led to many unnecessary deaths. The United States now has over one hundred thousand new cases per day. It has the highest number of infected people and the highest death count in the world and this all is the result of the explicit policies and decisions of one man, Donald Trump.

Let us look at his Crimes Against Humanity.

Trump has destroyed the Environmental Protection Agency and rolled back over one hundred pieces of environmental legislation. He has put climate change deniers and industry shills in charge of the very agencies that should be overseeing them. He has taken the United States out of the Paris Climate Change Accord, which is the only climate agreement that the world has, to try and lessen a catastrophe that is already upon us and will most severely affect the children alive today and those to come. This is not trivial. This will lead to the deaths of millions if not billions of people in the years to come. Flooding, droughts, fires, hurricanes, crop failures, famines, disease, and outright heat death will increase with time. The resulting refugee situation will grow more and more intense as starving populations will desperately flee impossible situations. Border violence will greatly intensify. Wars for the remaining resources will increase and armed groups will increasingly take advantage of the breakdown of weakened state systems. The rise in world fascism is already evidence of this as people fear, and are made to fear, immigrant pressures largely coming from countries already afflicted by the results of global warming and a worsening economy. It will be mayhem.

The United States which is the second most polluting body in the world has been given the green light by Donald Trump to not only go ahead and pollute as usual, but by destroying all restrictions on land use and emissions controls, has been given explicit permission to pollute more than ever before. This is a crime not only against the children of the United States but a crime against every child in the world. Children sense this and it is why it is the youth who are most active in the fight against pollution and climate change.

And while on the subject of indifference to children, what do we make of Trump’s policy of separating children from their parents at the border and keeping these children in cages? Why is there not more outrage? Over five hundred of these children are now without their parents who are now missing, who were sent back to countries where they were fleeing from mortal danger. Many of these children will never see their parents again. Is this not a crime against humanity? Imagine if these were your own children, alone, locked up in a cage, despised, in a strange country, not even having their parents for consolation. Why are religious people still supporting Donald Trump? Is this something Christ would be indifferent to? Is it because Trump claims to be anti-abortion? Abortion will go on if it is made illegal, as it did before it was legalized. The only difference is that thousands of women will bleed to death and die of infection because the abortions will be done by themselves or unqualified practitioners.

Where is the outrage from the United Nations, from Unicef? From the European Union? The sad answer is that they are afraid to poke the beast. As we have seen regarding the President’s immunity to indictment (Mueller did not “exonerate” the President as Trump and his buddies claim — Mueller explicitly stated that Justice Department policy forbid an indictment of a sitting President). So if you are powerful enough not only do you avoid the due process of the law but also you often avoid even the whiff of criticism.

Donald Trump, even if defeated will not be accused, charged, or tried for Treason, or Crimes Against Humanity, any more than George Bush and Dick Cheney were tried for sanctioning torture, eliminating due process and habeas corpus, and creating an entire war based on the endlessly repeated lie of “Weapons of Mass Destruction”. Donald Trump may even be legally able to pardon himself. He has already pardoned some of his favorite criminals including a racist sheriff and Roger Stone who recently suggested Trump declare martial law and assume absolute power should he lose the election.

If Trump does pardon himself it would make absolutely ludicrous the notion of “Justice for All”. Instead it will be justice for the powerless, and freedom to do whatever the hell you wish, for the rich and powerful.

Same as it ever was.

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Eric Weiner

Was a psychotherapist, photographer, would-be writer for many years; musician/songwriter for very few years. Also a committed long-time vegan.