A ‘political bloodletting.’ Trumpian chaos hitting close to home | Opinion
For centuries, bloodletting was a widely prescribed treatment that doctors believed would somehow restore good health. The reality is that it often made matters worse. For former President George Washington, who had 40 percent of his blood drained by this barbaric practice when he became ill, it contributed significantly to his death.
Today in Washington, D.C., we are seeing the political equivalent of a bloodletting. In less than 100 days, the Trump administration has undermined a strong and growing economy and turned the American dream into a nightmare for many. It has severed ties with longstanding allies, slashed federal programs and needlessly wounded millions of Americans with policies rooted in crackpot theories, cruelty and chaos.
Since his inauguration, stock markets have dropped by 10 percent or more, pushing us to the brink of a national, and perhaps worldwide, recession as expected trade wars heat up. Critical federal employees have been let go; billions of dollars are being yanked from our schools and public health departments; and Social Security and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are on the chopping block, with cuts to both programs putting hard-earned benefits at risk and leaving millions of Americans fearing what’s next.
We are seeing the incalculable contributions of minorities and the LGBTQ community being erased from federal agencies, while their future is being diminished because of the demonization of programs designed to broaden opportunities and close historical gaps.
Tourists from other nations and those living here legally on visas are being detained, deported and denied entry – not for any crime, but because they have the audacity to disagree with this administration.
It is mind-boggling that so much damage could be done in such little time. But rejection of these wayward ways has been swift, too. Our courts are doing what they can to block these gross misuses of power, and a growing swell of dissent from citizens and leaders like Governor Andy Beshear and Congressman Morgan McGarvey are making a difference.
Giving credit where it’s due, I also am pleased by the pushback we’re starting to see even from members of Kentucky’s Republican congressional delegation, although our own U.S. representative cannot seem to praise these egregious actions enough.
As hurtful as these actions are, there is every reason to believe that it may get worse before it gets better. We’re just starting to feel the effects of the tariffs and agency cutbacks, for example, and a cavalier and conspiracy-minded attitude toward public health is already leading to a deadly rise of once-conquered diseases like measles. Social Security, long thought to be the third rail in politics, could crater due to intentionally abrupt changes, and the same holds true for Medicaid, which would put rural hospitals at much greater risk of closing.
Some cheer this dismantling of the federal government, or at least say those of us opposing it are overreacting. But what we are experiencing is unprecedented because it is so deliberate, and as painful as it is now, the aftershocks will endure long after the president’s term is over. It will be difficult to regain the trust of our allies and overcome the worry that a repeat performance is never more than four years away.
Both Presidents Kennedy and Reagan famously spoke of our country being a shining city on a hill, one where we are seen as a beacon of hope, prosperity and freedom. Despite those trying to tarnish that shine, I believe that symbolism still holds true today. But it’s not guaranteed, especially if we continue on the path we are now on.
What heartens me is the fact that many refuse to huddle on the sidelines while so much is at stake. They are the ones who understand how vital it is that we don’t let anyone, even a president, run our great city downhill.
I am proud to stand with them.
Cherlynn Stevenson is a former state representative from Lexington.