Daily Times

Donald Trump’s marquis four letter slogan that got him to the White House and now is central to his re-election campaign is MAGA: Make America Great Again. Despite the rhetoric flourish, the term is and was oxymoronic.

A more fitting MAGA is “Making America GAGA.” GAGA is a non-technical term referring not to the entertainer but to a condition that is often delusional, irrational and disconnected from reality. The symptoms do not require an MRI or other expensive medical tests and are readily observable.

Surprisingly, this is a bipartisan, Republican and Democratic malaise made worse as, to many outside observers, the two parties have collectively lost both their souls and minds.

The president has some good instincts. The U.S. needed to extricate itself from two losing wars. So while drawing down from Afghanistan, forces were greatly increased in the Persian Gulf to little effect. Why? That is GAGA.

The president wanted better relations with Russia. Yet he abrogated the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty and probably will do the same for New START possibly beginning a new arms race. That is GAGA.

Regarding the November election, Donald Trump will be lucky to get 40-42% of the vote. Yet in this intractably polarized political environment, Trump could win. That is GAGA

The president wanted to deny Iran nuclear weapons in perpetuity. Yet he abrogated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that would have achieved that aim while imposing a campaign of maximum pressure on Tehran to force either regime change or negotiations. Neither is likely. That is GAGA.

The president wanted to redress China’s unfair trade practices and theft of intellectual property. Yet he withdrew from the best tool he had to restrain Beijing, The Trans-Pacific Partnership. That is GAGA.

With the onset of Corona/Covid-19, how is it possible a pandemic could become politicized? That is GAGA.

The president refuses to wear a protective mask, take prophylactic drugs the Food and Drug Administration advises are potentially dangerous and dismisses scientific and medical advice. That is GAGA.

Congress is no better. The Democratic House impeached the president on charges that were not “high crimes or misdemeanors.” That is GAGA.

As the Democratic Party lurched far left, it embraced the Green New Deal, moving to zero carbon emissions at the cost of many trillions of dollars—-financially unaffordable and politically unachievable. That is GAGA.

After the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the knee of a policeman, a number of Democrats demanded it was time “to defund police.” While the meaning of defund is unclear, some Democrats take that to an extreme. In Seattle, “Black Lives Matter” seized part of the city declaring a “no-police, autonomous zone.”

Does defund mean getting rid of the FBI and the national law enforcement agencies? Does it mean eliminating state and county police? Are city police redundant because of violence against minorities?

You dial 911. A voice message replies, “Our offices are closed. Please call tomorrow.” Traffic breaks down. A mass shooting breaks out in a school, shopping mall, or other large public venue. Looting breaks out. Who responds? That is GAGA

The president continues to refuse to recognize that kneeling during the national anthem reflected protests against the injustices and violence committed against blacks by police and vigilantes and not disrespect towards the flag. Flag burning is free speech. But the other side does not accept the importance and symbolism of the flag to millions of Americans.

The failure to understand these genuine differences is GAGA.

Now that the nation is “re-opening,” too many Americans are acting as if the pandemic is over. A majority seem not to be taking preventive action by wearing masks and practicing “social distancing.” That is GAGA.

That the president is holding a huge rally in Tulsa this Saturday. That is GAGA.

Regarding the November election, Donald Trump will be lucky to get 40-42% of the vote. Yet in this intractably polarized political environment, Trump could win. That is GAGA

The presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden suffers from foot in mouth disease with his frequently confused statements. Some believe he is GAGA. Trump will certainly make that diagnosis part of his campaign.

But the greater threat of GAGA is to the Constitution’s checks and balances. The appointed leadership of the Executive Branch appears more loyal to Donald Trump than to the Constitution. 51 of 53 Republican Senators will not challenge the president. The House has become emotionally obstructive.

With the three hundred Trump appointed federal judges, how will they administer the law?Electing a president in 2020 by a 5-4 Supreme Court as occurred in 2000 could irreversibly divide the country. That is GAGA.

The reality, danger and fear is that, like Covid-19, so far, GAGA has no cure.

The writer is UPI’s Arnaud deBorchgrave Distinguished Columnist. He is Senior Advisor at the Atlantic Council and his next book is The Fifth Horseman: To Be Feared, Friended or Fought in a MAD-Driven Age