Unsportsmanlike Conduct

speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on February 10, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the past few days, President Donald Trump has alienated professional athletes, two countries with nuclear weapons programs and the United Nations.  If this were a football game, the President would be penalized 15 yards and tossed from the field for taunting.

In reality, no one tells the President to shut up and to take down his Twitter account.  So he can say anything he wants, even to the point of encouraging racial hatred and starting a war.  And all we can do is to watch him lead his country to implosion.

At the United Nations last week, Trump used undiplomatic language as he spoke to the body dedicated to keeping world peace.  He threatened North Korea with death and destruction if they didn't stop testing their nuclear weapons, then referred to that nation's leader Kim Jong-un as "Rocket Man" (which he obviously cribbed from the Elton John-Bernie Taupin songbook).  He wants to rescind the nuclear deal between the United States and Iran because of alleged violations.  And he wanted the UN itself to pay its own way and get rid of the deadwood, much like what he tried to do with NATO.

With the U.S. on the brink of nuclear war, Republicans threatening to repeal and replace Obamacare (and failing) for what seems like the umpteenth time, and Puerto Rico being added to the list of areas devastated by hurricanes and earthquakes, Trump decides to take on . . . the National Football League.

Giving new meaning to the term "political football", the President told a rabid crowd in Alabama that NFL owners should fire or suspend players who disrespected the American flag or did anything but stand during "The Star Spangled Banner".  The NFL and its players responded not only by taking knees during the anthem, but also by linking arms or staying in the locker room.

Ignoring the fact that this "taking a knee" business began when quarterback Colin Kaepernick did it before a game to protest racist white cops who get acquitted for killing African American men, it has somehow become an attack on America's manhood.  The anthem and the Stars and Stripes, which has become the symbol of fealty to the military, police and the GOP instead of being the symbol of freedom and equality for all, was brought to its knees by a pro football player who just took one?  No, we can't have that.  Not by someone the NFL has refused to hire since.

This same attitude also resulted in Trump disinviting the NBA champion Golden State Warriors from the White House.  But hey, the NHL champion Pittsburgh Penguins are available.  Darn few Americans on the team, but there's plenty of hardworking Canadians and Europeans to make the President look good.

Trump, who used to own a pro football team (the USFL New Jersey Generals in the 1980s), hasn't gotten it through his head that freedom to disagree with your leaders is a cherished right.  That he continues to stand with white supremacist groups while making his travel ban stronger only makes dissenters out of all but his most fervent supporters, which are dwindling in number as they learn more about the man they helped elect.

Meanwhile, how's the Russian investigation going?  Not a day goes by without some kind of revelation Trump and his minions would prefer you didn't know about.

This all makes you wonder what's going to come first--nuclear war or Trump's resignation.  Either way, it's game over.  Everybody loses.