“Huge duties were imposed under the pretext of protecting domestic manufacturers. Then they were canceled, before being reintroduced. Customs policy could be changed by anyone bringing a suitcase of cash to the government.” — Alexei Navalny on Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Putin had him murdered.
Really there are only two varieties of government, those that are subservient to the people being governed and those that rule by force and intimidation.
It’s even simpler than that. There are governments and there are gangsters. With his tariffs, ICE paramilitary, coerced “gifts,” pardons-for-sale, and threats against allies, industries, media, law firms, and academia, Donald Trump is not a president or even a king. Like Putin, he’s a mob boss. Disrespect must have consequences.
David Gilbert Keith
Deerfield