Gene Lyons - Was Trump Cabinet's Loyalty Ritual Funny -- Or Scary?

[DonViejo]

Gene Lyons

Was Trump Cabinet’s Loyalty Ritual Funny — Or Scary?

June 13, 2017

If you’ve been wondering what “loyalty” means to President Trump, his most recent cabinet meeting provides an illustration. Hint: it doesn’t necessarily include loyalty to the United States of America.

Rather, to the assorted Wall Street billionaires, politicians and captains of industry that the president has surrounded himself with, loyalty equates with obsequious, sycophantic praise for Trump himself.

The televised spectacle has to be seen to be believed. And the question is, was it more laughable or more scary? I confess being of two minds.

On the comic side, I couldn’t help but think of the “mighty Emperor of Lilliput, Delight and Terror of the Universe” in Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. To determine which of his courtiers gained preference, the Emperor—every bit of six inches tall—conducted public exhibitions of “leaping and creeping,” rather like dog agility trials. The winners particularly excelled at groveling.

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http://www.nationalmemo.com/trump-cabinets-loyalty-ritual-funny-scary/

[Solly Mack]

1. Both

KR

[Girard442]

2. The grovelfest was absurd, but also sent a deadly serious message:

Accepted norms of political behavior in a democracy no longer apply.

[gademocrat7]

3. It was absurd.

chump having his ego stroked by his cabal. These cretins care nothing about our country.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Terrifying. If powerful leaders are reduce to kissing trump's ass, what has our democracy...

been reduced to?

Past Presidents, like Lincoln and both Roosevelts, included rivals in their cabinets and inner circles. Their reasons weren't always of the highest order, but leadership is not dictatorship.

Trump is afraid of dissent. He can't deal with it.