Theodore Roosevelt

Further Reflection On Trump’s Destruction Of “The People’s House”! :(

Ronald 11 Comments

With another 24 hours having passed, and the destruction of the East Wing of the White House, “The People’s House”, in full swing, without any hearings or approval by a Washington Landmarks Commission, this author and blogger is feeling more outraged and disgusted by the hour, and blood pressure is rising.

Who gives any President the right to abuse his position, and destroy a landmark historic building without any intervention to delay it and consider it carefully, instead of just charging ahead as if he is the Emperor, who makes decisions unilaterally?

Imagine if such destruction was to take place suddenly at the Vatican in Rome, or the Parthenon in Athens, or Buckingham Palace in London, or the Louvre in Paris, or a multitude of other historic and significant sites of history!

To create a 90,000 square feet (more than two football fields) Ballroom that will be larger than the rest of the White House structure, is a monstrosity that will harm the reputation and significance of the residence where the American President lives while in office!

What would Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Jacqueline Kennedy, all involved in throughtful renovations over the past century and more, say if they were here?

What would John Adams, the first President to occupy the White House, or James Madison, who fled during the War of 1812, when the White House was heavily damaged by the British, but began the needed renovation on the building, say?

What would Abraham Lincoln, who was always concerned that the Confederate States of America might attack the White House, think about his distant successor who had no regard for History and Architecture, and just wanted to glorify himself?

This is a travesty of injustice, and will condemn Donald Trump for all time, as the absolute worst American President, no matter what else occurs!

It is a disgrace that as we are about to commemorate, not celebrate sadly, the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, that we are seeing the complete reshaping of an historic building which should have been left as it was for the long haul of history!

In The Midst Of Massive Injustice, A Moment To Salute Jimmy Carter, On What Would Have Been His 101st Birthday!

Ronald Leave a comment

In the midst of massive injustice, and living through the worst Presidency in American history, far worse than the first term of Donald Trump, we should all pause and reflect on something that can make us smile!

Today, October 1, would have been the 101st Birthday of President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100 on December 29, 2024, almost three months past his birthday, and the longest lived President in American history.

Jimmy Carter is diametrically opposite of Donald Trump, as Carter can be regarded as likely the most decent, humane, truly religious, sincere, compassionate, empathetic, intelligent person ever to occupy the White House, bar none!

Carter may not have accomplished the greatness of Presidents such as Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and his time in office was tough, but he gave his “All”, as the hardest working President of modern times!

Carter will be remembered for the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, the most important development in modern Middle East history.

He will be remembered for his great environmental advocacy (the greatest of any one term President), and for the justice of arranging for the Panama Canal, forced on Panama by Theodore Roosevelt, to be returned to their sovereignty under international law.

He also established the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); recognized Mainland China; and presided over the creation of the Department of Energy, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services, among other accomplishments.

Carter also promoted human rights as a foreign policy goal, and created the Carter Center, post Presidency, to deal with tropical diseases and promote free and fair elections, and won the Nobel Peace Prize a generation after his Presidency, along with building housing for the poor with his own hands for Habitat For Humanity.

And he also gave America the man regarded by many experts as the best, most effective, most engaged Vice President in American history, Walter Mondale. Additionally, he struck up a close friendship with his one time rival, Gerald Ford, the closest Presidential relationship of two rivals for the Presidency since John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Carter’s reputation will continue to rise, and the contrast with Donald Trump is stark and shocking.

God bless the soul of the 39th President, Jimmy Carter!

Massive Setbacks On A Century And More Of Reforms Since Theodore Roosevelt!

Ronald 36 Comments

The United States, from the time of Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Era (1900-1917), began what has been a century of massive political, social, and economic reform, making America a growing vibrant democracy that survived two World Wars and the Cold War.

But now, under Donald Trump and his evil aims, America is in the process of losing a multitude of reforms that have benefited the nation.

Among them:

Environmental legislation
Consumer legislation
Social Security
Medicare and Medicaid
Women Suffrage
Civil Rights Legislation
Labor Legislation
Corporate Regulations
Housing Legislation
Agricultural Legislation
Disabilities Legislation
Immigration Reforms
Educational Legislation

These areas of reform occurred under multiple Presidents of both parties.

But leave it to “Project 2025”, and the entire century plus of reforms and commitment to a better nation for all, is in the process of being wiped out!

Donald Trump Is Underming Multiple Areas Of American Progress

Ronald 66 Comments

After seven and a half months of his second term, President Donald Trump has used a “wrecking ball” that has undermined multiple areas of American progress of past Presidents and Congresses.

Trump has undermined a stable American foreign policy, upending our relationship with NATO and our Asian allies, and encouraging aggression by dictatorships worldwide.

Trump has undermined our heritage of civil rights and civil liberties progress, from the time of Lyndon B. Johnson onward.

Trump has undermined environmental and consumer protection, which has been a guidepost since the time of Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.

Trump has undermined America’s economic progress with his crazy, mad dash toward tariffs that are already showing signs of bringing about an economic recession and make life more difficult for anyone not of the wealthy upper class.

Trump has declared war on immigrants, upending the concept of tolerance and the essential need for a work force that includes foreigners who wish to become part of the “American Dream”.

Trump has shown total lack of compassion, decency, ethics, morals and tolerance toward anyone not white male Christian, including setting back progress for nonwhites, women, gays and lesbians, and disabled people.

Trump has undermined the independence of universities, the news media, corporations, and law firms, all threatening American democracy and its institutions.

So Trump has declared war on much of the 20th and 21st century progress from Theodore Roosevelt to Joe Biden, Presidents and Congresses of both political parties!

Trump Systematically Destroying All Reforms From Progressive Era Onward!

Ronald 26 Comments

Donald Trump is systematically destroying all reforms from the Progressive Era onward, with particular attention to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts has been a willing participant in this reversal of all of the great changes that promoted equality and justice, which became about after nearly a century since the Civil War of continued violation of basic human rights to African Americans and other minorities, including women and gay and lesbian Americans.

This is a very emotional time, as Donald Trump is moving full stream ahead, to return America to the late 19th century Gilded Age, where multi millionaires dominated the economy without any government regulation, and where racial discrimination and lack of basic human rights to anyone other than white male Christians predominated.

Trump and his supporters in the most despicable and corrupt Cabinet in American history are actively destroying

the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Era reforms that he initiated, through his Square Deal and New Nationalism proposals and actions.

the reforms of Woodrow Wilson’s New Freedom legislation.

undermining the social justice reforms of the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt ;

and the Fair Deal of Harry Truman;

and the civil rights advancements of Dwight D. Eisenhower;

and the ideals of the New Frontier of John F. Kennedy;

and the overwhelming reforms in so many areas of public life of the Great Society of Lyndon B. Johnson;

and the many initiatives of Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, George H W Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden toward major reform initiatives.

Trump has declared war on common decency and humanity, and has ushered in an American Fascism, reminiscent of Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, Juan Peron, and other right wing dictators.

The danger that there will not be free and fair elections, and the attempt to promote midstream Texas gerrymandering to weaken an opposition Democratic Party challenge to the authoritarianism taking place, is totally horrifying and depressing!

Past Presidential Disputes Never Anything Like Trump With His Predecessors!

Ronald 5 Comments

Donald Trump’s incessant attacks on many of his predecessors in the White House is unparalleled in American history!

Trump has attacked over the years not only Barack Obama, but also Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and both Presidents Bush in vehement and outrageous ways.

In the past, there were cases of “bad blood” between Presidents, but nothing on the scale of what Trump has done.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson had strong criticism of each other, as well as Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams, and neither Adams attended the inauguration of his successor. But later, Adams and Jefferson revived their former friendship, with extensive letter correspondence over the last 14 years of their lives.

John Tyler, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan were unhappy with Abraham Lincoln’s policies during the Civil War.

Andrew Johnson had issues with his successor, Ulysses S. Grant, and refused to attend Grant’s inauguration.

Theodore Roosevelt fought bitterly against his own annointed successor, William Howard Taft, and challenged him in 1912, and both TR and Wilson were at odds very often with Woodrow Wilson.

Herbert Hoover was very bitter in his loss to Franklin D. Rooosevelt, and during the terms that FDR was in office, probably more vehement than any other situation other than Trump, and FDR never invited Hoover to visit the White House.

Harry Truman was critical of Dwight D. Eisenhower to some extent, and he and Richard Nixon were dire enemies, until Nixon brought the Truman piano in the White House to the Truman Library in 1969.

Jimmy Carter tended to be critical of other Presidents, but in the case of Gerald Ford, they became the best of friends after both had left office. Carter remained a strong critic, but in a dignified manner, of George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.

Despite past rivalries, both Bush Presidents and Bill Clinton became good friends in later years, and the same for Barack Obama and the two Bushes.

It is extremely inappropriate for the members of the “Presidents Club” to be lambasting others in that group, and it was refreshing that Carter and Ford became friends, and that the Bushes and Clinton were cooperative, as well as Obama with the Bushes.

But then, Donald Trump has destroyed the idea of camaraderie among the small, select group who have the opportunity to be President of the United States.

Donald Trump Has Set Out To Destroy “The Great Society” And “The New Deal”!

Ronald 32 Comments

Clearly, Donald Trump and his “Project 2025” has set out to destroy “The Great Society” of Lyndon B. Johnson, and given time and ability, the next goal is to wipe out “The New Deal” of Franklin D. Roosevelt!

IF the Democrats do not win control of the House of Representatives in the Midterm Congressional Elections of 2026, nothing will stand in the way of further destruction of federal agencies and programs.

The ability to win the US Senate is a tall order, but Democrats must find a way to flip four seats, and not lose any of their members.

Otherwise, the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), already under attack, will be also under threat, as well as environmental reforms promoted by Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Joe Biden!

The last century and more of reforms will be under danger of total destruction!

55th Anniversary Of Earth Day, But Trump Is Promoting Defiance On Environmental Issues!

Ronald 4 Comments

Wisconsin Democratic Senator Gaylord Nelson is considered the brainchild of Earth Day, first celebrated on April 22, 1970, and embraced by President Richard Nixon, who went on to accomplish one of the best environmental records of all Presidents, considered just behind Theodore Roosevelt.

Later Presidents, and especially Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton (with the encouragement of Vice President Al Gore), Barack Obama, and Joe Biden—all Democrats—advocated for the environment, while Ronald Reagan in particular, and even more so, Donald Trump, have worked against facing the threat of climate change and global warming.

Instead, Trump is promoting drilling for oil and natural gas, mining for coal, and cutting down forest lands, all undermining the future of the planet, and American conservation of natural resources.

Already, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin is on a campaign to reverse the great progress made under Joe Biden and earlier Democratic Presidents.

Trump Use Of Executive Orders At All Time High, And Way Beyond The Norm!

Ronald 34 Comments

Donald Trump is setting records for the use of the power of Executive Orders, and the use of this tactic is seen as leading the nation toward an authoritarian dictatorship, with Congress and the Courts unable or unwilling to intervene to halt, or control the use of that tactic.

The all time record of Executive Orders is with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who served longer than any other President, 12 years and 39 days, and utilized executive orders a total of 3,721 times.

Woodrow Wilson was second with 1,803, followed by Calvin Coolidge with 1,203; Theodore Roosevelt with 1,081; Herbert Hoover with 968; Harry Truman with 907; William Howard Taft with 724; Warren G. Harding with 522; Dwight D. Eisenhower with 484; and Ronald Reagan with 381, closing out the top ten.

Recent Presidents—Bill Clinton with 364; George W. Bush with 291; Barack Obama with 276; and Donald Trump first term 220.

Notice that Executive Orders have been used much more often by Republican Presidents, who, except for Theodore Roosevelt, tend to be more conservative.

So far, in two months of his second term, Donald Trump has issued at least 100 Executive Orders, the fastest clip in American history, and may end up surpassing all Presidents, except possibly FDR and Wilson, if the rate continues at the same clip!

Just today, Trump has issued an Executive Order attempting to have the President control federal elections, an abuse of the right of state and local governments to do so!

Imagining A Theodore Roosevelt-Donald Trump Meeting!

Ronald 8 Comments

At a tumultuous time like now, in late March 2025, after two months of the second Donald Trump Presidency, it seems appropriate to make a comparison between a past President, Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President, and Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th President.

First, the similarities:

Both TR and Trump were Republican Presidents, although massively different in philosophy and outlook.

Both TR and Trump ushered in massive change, revolutionary in many ways.

Both TR and Trump were attention grabbers on a daily basis, constantly creating news and publicity.

Both TR and Trump were egomanics, having an element of insecurity that required them to insist on “rocking the boat” on a regular basis.

Both TR and Trump could be described as “characters”, highly outspoken more than any other combination of Presidents.

It has been said that TR wanted to be “the bride at every wedding, and the groom on every wedding cake”, and that Trump wanted to be equally admired and noticed constantly.

TR was toasted by Great Britain as a great man during and after his Presidency, and loved every minute of it, while Donald Trump was toasted as a great man during his first Presidency by the Saudi Arabian government, and loved every minute of it!

Both TR and Trump were born to wealth and in New York City, with TR in Manhattan, and Trump in Queens County, and with TR’s vacation home in Nassau County, Long Island, at Oyster Bay, and Trump’s vacation home in Palm Beach County, Florida at Mar a Lago.

As former Presidents running again for reelection in 1912 for TR and 2024 for Trump, both were victims of assassination attempts, with TR more seriously wounded than Trump, but both showing a defiant spirit at the time of their being victims.

Now, the massive differences between TR and Trump!

TR was our youngest President ever at age 42 and ten and a half months of age in September 1901, while Trump was our oldest inagurated President age 78 and 7 months in January 2025, and he will be the oldest President when he leaves office in 2029, surpassing Joe Biden in that statistic if it occurs.

TR believed in a need for a stronger, more engaged national government, challenging the conservative, laissez faire philosophy of the Republican Party, and proudly asserting he was a “progressive”.

Trump has declared “war” on the federal government, wanting to cut down the involvement of the national government in a wide variety of ways, promoting a return to state and local government control as in the Gilded Age of the late 19th century.

TR was the promoter of environmental reform and conservation of natural resources, regarded as the single most significant President in that area of policy.

Trump has made clear his desire to shut down most environmental and conservation efforts, and promote more drilling and more industrial use of natural resources, despite the reality of climate change and global warming. He is attempting to cut back on national parks, national conservation lands and national monuments in a dramatic fashion.

TR believed in the need for federal government regulation for consumers, regarding food and drug protection, while Trump has allowed himself to appoint a Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, who is reckless and unstable, and has created great concerns about the protection of health for the American people.

TR promoted openmindedness on workers’s rights, while Trump has demonstrated that he is unconcerned about the average working man and the significance of labor unions.

TR believed in the concept of corporate regulation and responsibility, while Trump has the belief that corporations should not be regulated, and corporate taxes should be cut, both in his first term, and now in his second term. So TR utilized the anti trust laws, while Trump has not and will not do so.

TR and Trump both were involved in the issue of the Panama Canal, with TR promoting a revolution in the area of Colombia which broke away, became independent with US support, and agreed to the building of the Canal, while Trump is now promoting US takeover the Canal, which was given back by treaty in 1977 under Jimmy Carter, and returning to Panamanian control in the year 2000.

TR was aggressive in his relations with the rest of Latin America, promoting the “Big Stick” policy, with intervention in Cuba and the Dominican Republic, while Trump has created tensions in the entire Western Hemisphere, and including our Canadian neighbors to the North, as well as the nations south of the US.

TR cultivated good relations with Japan, while looking down on China, while Trump is being aggressive in his policies toward China, and ready to use tariffs against all nations, including those in Asia.

TR wanted good relations with Europe, particularly with Great Britain and France; was suspicious of Germany; and critical of Russia and its mistreatment of Jews and other minorities. Trump, on the other hand, seems ready to abandon NATO and our close alliances with Western democracies since World War II, and is cozying up with our traditional antagonist, the Russian Federation..

TR won the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to negotiate the treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War, while Trump is hoping for a Nobel Peace Prize by resolving the Russia-Ukraine War.

It is very clear that TR, were he alive today, would be a major critic of Donald Trump, and would have no issue in confronting him openly and “in his face”.

The question is how would Trump react to such scathing and extreme criticism!