As we find ourselves in the middle of the Donald Trump impeachment proceedings, I can’t help but think of one of the scenes from my favorite movie of all time, Crimson Tide.
U.S. nuclear submarine Captain Frank Ramsey, played by Gene Hackman, decides to call a missile launch readiness test just as a kitchen fire has flared up in the sub. The sub’s 2nd in command, Executive Officer (XO) Ron Hunter, played by Denzel Washington, completely disagrees with the timing of the Captain’s decision to run the drill. Here is the scene from the movie.
Later, the two confer in private, and the Captain explains to the XO why he decided to run the drill when he did. Below is the movie scene.
While every other President in history has had his share of negative press and criticism from the media, it seems to me that Trump’s presidency has broken all sorts of records in that area. Regardless of whose side anyone might be on, the ongoing battle between Trump and the mainstream media has far exceeded anything we have ever seen. Blatant partisanship has always been an unfortunate part of politics. But the current war between Republicans and Democrats has reached new lows.
Maybe all of this is fueled by Trump’s divisive personality. Maybe it’s just a sign of changing times. But the fact of the matter is that for the last three years it has been nearly impossible to turn on the TV set and get news that do not have to do with Trump. Every blooper, every sneeze, every cough. The impeachment proceedings are just a continuation of this long-running circus.
Meanwhile, one has to wonder just how much focus and effort is being put forth on the actual running of the country. Given the colossal distraction that is this constant partisan tug-of-war, the natural reaction is to wonder whether enough attention is being paid to the pressing issues at hand, both domestic and global.
It is the global issues that bring to mind the scenes from the movie. One can only image the mixture of amusement and glee being felt by the U.S.’s strongest rivals on the global stage… China, Russia, to mention a couple. Like the kitchen fire in the submarine, the gigantic distraction that is the incessant war between Trump and the media, and between both political parties, is not lost on allies and enemies alike.
I am not here to argue about Trump’s impeachment one way or the other. I am only fretting over the incredible amounts of time wasted over the last three years in obsessing over every breath taken by Trump. As much as I dislike Trump (see my previous blog article on him), I am also dismayed by what has been, in my humble opinion, a completely subpar effort on the part of the Democratic party and the mainstream media in trying to put together a credible, “sure-thing” challenge to Trump in the next elections.
The effort has been so subpar that, at least in my opinion, a Trump re-election in 2020 doesn’t seem all that farfetched. If this were to happen, I cringe to think of a repeat of the previous four years, only magnified. Not just because we’ll have to endure Trump’s severe weaknesses of character for another term, but because the hysterical nature of the opposition will continue to provide the American public with a steady supply of migraines until the second term mercifully comes to an end. The nation’s image abroad will certainly continue to take a hit… enemies will continue to get stronger and bolder… and allies will continue their head scratching over Trump’s egotistical and boneheaded moves.
As you should be able to tell by now, I feel there is enough blame to go around. Trump does not hold a monopoly on blame for the mess that is American politics at the moment. Fake News is real, which leaves much of the public in a sort of limbo. Many in mainstream media cannot help themselves in oozing Trump hate through their collective pores. This obvious and constant bias is not lost on much of the voting public.
But most of all, this impeachment soap opera should come to an end sooner rather than later, regardless of the outcome. Let’s get back to running this country, and paying closer attention to those issues that merit attention.
As we continue to wallow in this constant and endless partisan bickering, the question begs asking. “So… who’s minding the store?”