Narcissism on Parade

 

by Pa Rock

Taxpayer and Voter

(Narcissism:  Excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance.  Selfishness, involving a sense of entitlement, a lack of empathy, and a need for admiration.)

A couple of new insults to democracy were unfurled this week and both seem aimed at spreading the glory of Donald John Trump, our nation's preeminent narcissist.

Back in February Trump announced a plan for a special "gold" card which would act as a visa allowing permanent residency in the Untied States.  The card would sell for a pricey five million dollars and would replace an older "immigrant investor visa" that granted admission to the country at a less pricier rate.  Trump's new version has a special feature that is designed to be especially enticing to rich potential immigrants.  Unlike the earlier version, this one would not require the new arrivals to pay taxes on the income that they generate outside of the United States.

And, of course, the price tag would help to keep out the riffraff.

Trump's commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, made a couple of specious claims about the new visas for rich people last month.  According to news reports Lutnick said that 1,000 gold cards had been sold that week, and $5 billion had been raised in a single day.  He also said that the program currently had over 250,000 applicants - but the US Immigration and Customs website does not indicate that the application program has yet been launched.

But not to worry, because Trump now seems to have it under control now.

Last Friday aboard Air Force One as Trump was flying to Florida for his regular weekend of golf, he showed reporters one of the new gold cards.  Trump said that he had bought the first one, and that the program would be up an running within two weeks.

The new gold visa has Donald Trump's picture on it - of course it does - and he is officially referring to it as the "Trump Card" - of course he is.

There was also a report in the press this week that the military and the administration are planning an enormous military parade to mark the Army's 250th birthday and Flag Day on Saturday, June 14th, in Washington, DC.  That date just also happens to be Donald Trump's 79th birthday.  Some estimates are that the parade will extend from the Pentagon to the White House, a distance of four miles.  When Trump tried to stage a massive military parade during his first term in response to the Bastille Day parade which he had witnessed in France, the response was cool, with opposition both in Congress and with the Washington, DC, city government which feared damage to the city's streets from the military vehicles.  That parade never happened, much to the chagrin of the Grand Marshal.

But Trump, who missed out on his opportunity to serve in the military due to bone spurs, wants his parade, and if it happens to fall on his birthday, so  be it.  Our Dear Leader might even name it after himself!

Surely our cost-cutting Congress and the government watch-and-attack-dogs in the Department of Government Efficiency will step in an block this flagrant misuse of taxpayer dollars.  Right?  RIGHT?

I suppose I could recoup some benefit from my tax dollars by flying to Washington, DC, and personally viewing the parade  - but I don't want to.  I would rather see my tax money spent on mental health initiatives and treatment programs, and maybe then we wouldn't need massive birthday parades.