Trump’s
appointment of a coterie of former and current military generals to key
high-level government posts is unnerving and quite ironic from a man who
aggressively avoided being drafted in the Vietnam War. Now he needs their
services. It’s not so much about defending America’s core interests overseas
which is a necessity for this empire, rather it’s the almost exclusive
appointment of generals that give the frightening perception that America could
be not only more aggressive overseas but domestically as well. It’s the latter
that is most worrisome as a threat to our freedoms.
It’s
an open secret that significant economic structural flaws worldwide exists. We
barely escaped an economic meltdown in 2008, however because no genuine changes
to fix the system were undertaken combined with an exploding global debt crisis,
we’re heading for an inevitable train wreck. According to Trump, he has good
instincts and his instincts probably tell him that this train wreck will happen
on his watch which is why he needs as much “crowd control” protection as
possible.
Despite
their personality differences, generals are trained in the same culture and
speak the same language which means there’s less ambiguity on objectives just
differences on tactics. The militarization of the government is almost complete
as the newly appointed generals now command an experienced and militarized law
enforcement. Trump can ill afford a usually diverse civilian cabinet who may
demure in times of crisis.
The
key question is how his team will react to stem a severe economic crisis and/or
terrorist attacks. With respect to the former, each recession over the past 20
years has been progressively worse than the previous one, with the 2008 one
“arrested” at the precipice of a bottomless black hole. More importantly is how
he will manage messy aftermath – not economically but on the streets. Like a
meteorological disaster, the initial destruction is terrible but the looting is
often just as deadly.
With
respect to the latter, with a militarized government will he unhesitatingly
declare martial law and either suspend or even crush civil
liberties? Would this provoke nationwide riots that would make the 1968
anti-war and civil rights riots look like a family picnic? And would they dramatically
increased government surveillance powers? With such advanced technology even the
business sector knows you better than you know yourself.
Already
cities are declaring themselves “sanctuaries” for the undocumented population
which could be expanded to include law-abiding people protesting government
policies. To what extent will the government “squeeze” the states to comply to
arrest these individuals if the state refuses?
There’s
insidious legal language buried in the Homeland Security law that gives
government far-reaching powers during a crisis. The issue is what and who
defines a crisis? Could this be used as a pretext for a soft coup for indefinite government lockdown on freedoms? For this reason this is why you
have to question why so many generals, who aren’t from the Colin Powell mold,
have been appointed to high-level cabinet posts.
This
pre-positioning of particular military personnel in high-level cabinet posts is
a frightening parallel to the playbook chapters of autocrats Russia’s Putin, Turkey’s
Erdogan and China’s Xi who all have successfully legally silenced their
critics. How America responds during the next crisis will determine which
direction our democracy is headed and what form will it take.
For
additional perspectives on Trump's stunning ascendancy including a series of
published articles dating back to 2015 projecting his victory well before his
GOP nomination, refer to our special website link The Men in the Trump Tower.
Copyright Indo-Brazilian Associates LLC 2016. All rights reserved.
Indo-Brazilian Associates LLC is a NYC-based global advisory service and think tank with connections at the highest levels specializing in international investment, political and security risk assessments. International business is increasingly complex featuring a highly mobile professional class in all corners of the globe. We provide you the tools to successfully negotiate cross-culturally in your global business endeavors. Tell us about your challenges. We'll get you on the "Short List".
We provide executive coaching, speaking engagements, speechwriting and workshops. Contact us at www.indobrazilian.com
Indo-Brazilian Associates LLC is a NYC-based global advisory service and think tank with connections at the highest levels specializing in international investment, political and security risk assessments. International business is increasingly complex featuring a highly mobile professional class in all corners of the globe. We provide you the tools to successfully negotiate cross-culturally in your global business endeavors. Tell us about your challenges. We'll get you on the "Short List".
We provide executive coaching, speaking engagements, speechwriting and workshops. Contact us at www.indobrazilian.com
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