By Daniel Nardini
U.S. President Donald Trump is at war with Chicago in everything but name. He essentially declared war against America’s third largest city at Charlie Kirk’s funeral and again at Quantico, Virginia, during a major staff meeting with this country’s top military brass. Already it is obvious that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are all over the place in downtown Chicago and in various neighborhoods rounding up innocent people, regardless of their immigration status, and the Texas National Guard is being put on the ground in Chicago. This is all against the will of our state government as a whole, against Illinois Governor J.B Pritzker and City Mayor Brandon Johnson, and certainly against the people of Chicago. Both the governor and mayor are fighting back in the only way they can—with no cooperation and through the courts. The people of Chicago are fighting back in the only way they can through protests and passive resistance.
But this war against Chicago is also a horrible waste of resources, manpower and worst it is all causing needless human suffering. How much does it cost to maintain the Texas National Guard to both the state of Texas and to the federal government? The federal government is further wasting resources by using the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Administration, and of course ICE because federal personnel are being taken off cases and investigations that are absolutely necessary for the security of Chicago and the state. Federal personnel being used solely for going after the innocent means criminals, gangs and cartels will now have a free hand in carrying on their activities. Hence, what Trump is doing is counter-productive to the safety and security for Chicago. Just as equally bad is that Trump cut funding for hiring, training and putting more police forces on the ground in the city. In short, Trump is wasting both the state’s and federal resources of this country because the Chicago police have to be a line separating protests and ICE and the Texas National Guard when the police could be doing other things to help our city. Just as equally bad is Trump is disrupting the economic, social and cultural rhythm of the city as residents of Chicago must find ways to avoid the chaos Trump has caused and go to work, care for their families and carry on to make the city run.
The war against Chicago goes deeper than this. Trump is not just fighting a war against the people of Chicago and of Illinois. He is fighting a war against half the population of this country. He perceives half of the American people as ‘leftists” and “Antifa terrorists.” He sees the whole of the Democratic Party as the enemy, and if he knew a way how he would put the whole leadership of the Democratic Party in prison. He is the main reason truth be told for the current U.S. government shutdown. He is the reason why America has turned in on itself and is at war with itself. He is the reason why America is more divided than ever, and he is the reason why the Jeffrey Epstein files have not been released. Trump, his cronies and the whole of the Republican Party bear full responsibility for why America is in serious decline right now, and why this country has turned away from its most loyal allies in the Americas, in Europe and in Asia.
Even if Trump and his MAGA (Make America Great Again) were to disappear tomorrow, sadly the United States would still be a divided country where Americans hate their fellow Americans. This was true before Trump came on the scene, and it will probably be true long after Trump and his ilk are gone. This has been a sad reality of American life since at least the beginning of the 21st Century. Where does it all end? Does it end in the dissolution of the country? In civil war? Do America’s institutions survive? Do we as a people survive? Does the great experiment of the U.S. Constitution and the idea of America die within our lifetimes? Do we survive and become a better nation for it? I personally do not know if I will see any of this. What I do now fear for is the existence of my country. One thing is for sure in my mind; Trump is a sick and demented man. He has shown he cannot function properly, and is only making the divisions between Americans so much worse. It says a lot about his psyche at this point. I do not see it happening, but I think J.B. Pritzker is right. The 25th Amendment should be invoked, and Trump should be legally removed before he does even more damage.
Trump’s War Against Chicago
By Daniel Nardini
But this war against Chicago is also a horrible waste of resources, manpower and worst it is all causing needless human suffering. How much does it cost to maintain the Texas National Guard to both the state of Texas and to the federal government? The federal government is further wasting resources by using the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Administration, and of course ICE because federal personnel are being taken off cases and investigations that are absolutely necessary for the security of Chicago and the state. Federal personnel being used solely for going after the innocent means criminals, gangs and cartels will now have a free hand in carrying on their activities. Hence, what Trump is doing is counter-productive to the safety and security for Chicago. Just as equally bad is that Trump cut funding for hiring, training and putting more police forces on the ground in the city. In short, Trump is wasting both the state’s and federal resources of this country because the Chicago police have to be a line separating protests and ICE and the Texas National Guard when the police could be doing other things to help our city. Just as equally bad is Trump is disrupting the economic, social and cultural rhythm of the city as residents of Chicago must find ways to avoid the chaos Trump has caused and go to work, care for their families and carry on to make the city run.
The war against Chicago goes deeper than this. Trump is not just fighting a war against the people of Chicago and of Illinois. He is fighting a war against half the population of this country. He perceives half of the American people as ‘leftists” and “Antifa terrorists.” He sees the whole of the Democratic Party as the enemy, and if he knew a way how he would put the whole leadership of the Democratic Party in prison. He is the main reason truth be told for the current U.S. government shutdown. He is the reason why America has turned in on itself and is at war with itself. He is the reason why America is more divided than ever, and he is the reason why the Jeffrey Epstein files have not been released. Trump, his cronies and the whole of the Republican Party bear full responsibility for why America is in serious decline right now, and why this country has turned away from its most loyal allies in the Americas, in Europe and in Asia.
Even if Trump and his MAGA (Make America Great Again) were to disappear tomorrow, sadly the United States would still be a divided country where Americans hate their fellow Americans. This was true before Trump came on the scene, and it will probably be true long after Trump and his ilk are gone. This has been a sad reality of American life since at least the beginning of the 21st Century. Where does it all end? Does it end in the dissolution of the country? In civil war? Do America’s institutions survive? Do we as a people survive? Does the great experiment of the U.S. Constitution and the idea of America die within our lifetimes? Do we survive and become a better nation for it? I personally do not know if I will see any of this. What I do now fear for is the existence of my country. One thing is for sure in my mind; Trump is a sick and demented man. He has shown he cannot function properly, and is only making the divisions between Americans so much worse. It says a lot about his psyche at this point. I do not see it happening, but I think J.B. Pritzker is right. The 25th Amendment should be invoked, and Trump should be legally removed before he does even more damage.