The Coming US War on Chicago

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Donald John Trump, the mouth that roared, declared in a social media meme over the weekend that "Chicago is about to find out why it's called the Department of War," a reference to his attempt to rename the US Defense Department - and then to use it against a major American city.  The meme was based on Robert Duvall's role in the 1979 film, "Apocalypse Now" in which an Army colonel in the Vietnam War who liked to surf uttered the immortal line, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."  Trump's meme writer trashed that to "I love the smell of deportations in the morning."

(Robert Duvall should sue!)

Clearly the administration sees the threatened US military invasion of Chicago not as a crime-fighting endeavor (as it is being promoted), but as an opportunity to increase deportation numbers.

In point of fact, the prior military invasions of Los Angeles and Washington, DC,  both promoted as crime-fighting missions, were very careful to keep their troops out of high crime areas, preferring instead to have them on display in touristy areas of those cities.  (In DC they have actually been used to pick up trash and paint over graffiti.)

Perhaps a better rebrand for the Defense Department would be the US Department of Public Relations.

Regardless of the moniker, on Saturday Trump was threatening military action against a large US city, a masturbatory gesture on his part whose only real benefit would be to enhance his own self esteem as some sort of warrior god.  (Trump did not have as much of that "go get 'em" fighter spirit when he was dodging the draft to stay out of Vietnam in the 1960's.)  By Sunday, after massive public demonstrations against his plans by people in Chicago, Trump seemed to be backing down on sending in the troops.  But he is known for blowing hot and cold, and the war could be back on at the drop of a hat.

The great city of Chicago, a place I always enjoy visiting, has not requested my advice on how to respond if the National Guard - or active duty military for that matter - come car-pooling in, but I feel patriotically-bound to offer a suggestion anyway.  Trump is well known for his pettiness and is clearly the most petty individual ever to serve in the Oval Office.  He is quick to use all of the levers of government to bully his "enemies" (people who fail to prostrate themselves on the ground as his golf cart passes), and he sees that pettiness as a power.

That same power could be used against him.

When the US or National Guard troops hit the streets of Chicago and begin snatching up immigrants, or issuing parking tickets, or whatever, the city's mayor should immediately respond by sending a platoon of health inspectors into the Trump International Hotel and Tower and shutting down its bars and restaurants until a full health and safety check can be carried out.  Then they can initiate a room-by-room health and safety check of all of the hotel guest rooms and condos.  And the elevators - they must not forget the elevators!

And when that complex is cleared, if it ever is, the inspectors can move on to other properties in the city, those belonging to overt Trump supporters.   That's the kind of government interaction with business that Trump understands and appreciates.

Give him a healthy dose of his own medicine, and if our own government responds with an all-out war - as Trump initially threatened - let the Trump International be ground zero.

Here's another suggestion from an extremely old man who is younger than Trump:

Give peace a chance!