Hmmmmm…..

Exactly how much confirmation of ill intent and bad character do CEOs such as Uber’s Travis Kalanickon or Teslers Elon Musk need? Just based on the campaign, and campaign promises made by Trump alone, how could any rational person who opposes fascism agree to take a place on his Business Advisory Council?

Everybody is talking about the immigrant ban, which is certainly an omen of things soon to come, but the ban was just one of 18 executive orders and memos signed by Trump in his first twelve days. Every single one of these items are bad, against the interests of the general public, and demonstrate a continuation of the same fascistic stance that Trump took on the campaign trail.

Based on what we have seen thus far, are these CEOs really trying to convince us, their customers, that they believe that this symbolic business advisory council can convince this administration to change its ways? Their odds are worse than a snowman pushing a bolder up a mountain in the middle of June.

They should remember that they are talking about an administration that is so egomaniacal that it is prepared to push the concept of alternative facts as a cover for lying to the American public about, well, whatever it pleases. They should also remember that the leader of this administration is a pathological liar, who is probably so entrenched in his untruths (lies) that he now thinks they’re reality.

Did these CEOs not watch as Spicer stood up in front of the American public and angrily lied his butt off on behalf of the President, over something so silly as the size of his inauguration crowd? Later that same day they had all backed themselves into a corner so tight that Conway had to invent the concept of alternative facts in order to get them out.

Were these CEOs not watching when Trump reneged on his campaign promise to release his tax returns once “his audit” was complete?

Did they miss the part where Trump decided to retain all of his business interests in defiance of all conflict of interest advice and conventions?

If the Women’s March, possibly the largest international mobilization of non-violent resistance ever, involving millions of people and taking place within 24 hours of one of the least attended inaugurations in modern history, did not make this administration take note, what possible hope does a business advisory council have?

When confronted by the press on any matter, this administration’s ultimate response is to discredit the entire international press community (except Fox News) by calling them “fake news”. It should be noted that the Brexit and Trump campaigns, with a little help from Russia and of course Cambridge Analytica, invented fake news.

This president prefers to bypass the Press, State Department, diplomats, the Whitehouse, and even his own press secretary by issuing edicts via tweet, 140 characters at a time.

He has yelling matches with the Australian Prime-minister over previously agreed immigration deals, and then in the same day coddles the Russian President, whilst contemplating lifting sanctions put in place by his predecessor weeks before. He does all of this on the same day that violence precipitated by Russian backed separatists escalates in Ukraine, the very reason for the sanctions against Russia.

In a phone call to the Mexican president, he calls the Mexican military scared and threatens to send in American troops to take care of “The bad hombres” in Mexico.

He gives a speech for black history month where he spends most of his time lashing out at the press and stroking his own ego by boasting how many more black votes he managed to get in the election than expected.

The protests all over the United States, the unilateral condemnation of our allies, the attourney general labeling one of his executive orders as illegal, the thousands of state department employees who signed a letter of protest against the Muslim ban, and the opinion of most of the American public regarding this have only made this administration and its President become more bold and indignant, regarding its positions.

Now he calls the federal judge, appointed by George W. Bush, who placed an injunction against this unconstitutional Muslim ban, a “So called judge”, and vows to overturn his decision.

In DeVos this President nominated an education secretary, (Yes, an education secretary), so controversial, that in order to get the needed votes to confirm her Republicans are going to have to ask the Vice President to come down to congress to vote! Her confirmation hearing went so badly that even two Republicans have decided not to vote for her. Congress has been inundated with calls from the public to “please vote no”. Many overwhelmed congressmen, such as Pat Toomey, have unplugged their phones altogether. Their constituents have now resorted to sending faxes. They intend to vote yes anyway.

At all turns this administration has shown a tendency to ignore fact, history, criticism, advice, the public, the press, our allies, and even the law. They govern in spite of public opinion, and now even all other branches of their own government.

Europe and African leaders have called the present British/American political climate the most serious threat to Europe and world peace since the 1930s.

China has said that war with America is now a possibility with the Trump administration.

What all this should tell these CEOs, and every American with eyes to read or ears to hear, is that this President and his administration are behaving in a way which is indistinguishable from Fascism.

CEOs take note;

There are no degrees of Fascism. One is either a fascist or not. Similarly, one either supports fascism or opposes it.

Pick a side.