The First 100 Days, 60 Minutes, John Yoo

We now can look at the report card for President Trump’s first 100 days in office. All his bluster during his Presidential Campaign has turned into a cratering of our nation’s economy and that of the world at large. Never has one man caused so much damage to not only our nation but to our image in the world today. There are scores of people who are left suffering because of his erratic decisions and complete turn arounds leaving everyone in a state of despair and chaos. The most recent poll shows that his approval rating across multiple demographic groups is 22%, the lowest approval of a President in seven decades. He has been supported by his allies in the Republican Party.

But what we are starting to see is a real time response of truth to power. First, Harvard led the way to say “No!” We are not going to be blackmailed by you, Trump Administration, in your insidious demands to control our university which trains our leaders for tomorrow. Other colleges and universities joined together in following this lead in seeing that Trump was not after safety for Jewish people as much as he wanted to control all pertinent aspects of the universities across the nation. Everyone is seeing that anti-DEI is not about advocating for meritocracy as much as it is pure racism as espoused by the Right Wing. His choices for cabinet are not the embodiment of merit.

There is a video at the end of Scott Pelley’s statement from the 60 minutes staff regarding the resignation of their producer. The producer stood up to the corporation, Paramount, who owns 60 minutes when they wanted to make a deal that would require Trump’s approval. They bent the knee to kiss the ring.

The damage that Trump has done has caused thousands to die because of his policies. There is a question that may create some empathy in your soul for him which is something he lacks. The question is, “Who would Trump call if he needed help at 3 o’clock in the morning?” There would be no one. He has no real friends. He does have transactions. He is a bully at heart because his bluster is to cover a radical form of low self-esteem. Even though he was surrounded by people in a recent cabinet meeting where each member took their turn to tell him what a great leader he was, he didn’t have a sense of belonging. He is a narcissist whose inner dialogue raises a question for him every day, “If these people really knew who I was, would they still like me?” Hence, the man who needs the most empathy can’t provide a modicum of it to others.

There is a video below demonstrating John Yoo, a former ethics student of mine, on Fox News supporting the President over judicial authority. He is a professor of law at Cal-Berkeley, and the go to legal expert for Fox News and the conservative movement. I have written about John before. He sat front and center in our ethics class which was based in discussion of any topic based on a strong academic component (excluding anything or anyone related to our school). The class rules were only one person spoke at a time during discussions of topics as many of their choices of topics were directed to their present lives. There could be no ad hominem attacks (against a person). They felt safe because they knew I would never let the class get out of control. John thrived in the class as he was, even then, an articulate spokesman of his conservative positions on topics. A teacher controls a class when they make sure that all points of view are treated with respect. After a discussion I would express my point of view. This is very much lacking in our discourse today.

John went off to Harvard and law school. I lost track of him until one day a book arrived in the mail. It was a copy of his 524 pages magnum opus, Crisis and Command: A History of Executive Power from George Washington to George W. Bush. Inside was an inscription: “To Rev. Squire who first set me on the path to teaching. Best Wishes, John Yoo.”

The review of the book by Max Boot read: “Those who know John Yoo only from the caricature painted by his critics will be gob smacked to read Crisis and Command. It is not the work of some wild-eyed zealot bent on waging war on our civil liberties. Rather, it is a careful examination of the subject of presidential powers viewed through the prism of history. By focusing on how presidents from George Washinton to George W. Bush have actually exercised their authority, especially in wartime, Yoo makes a compelling contribution to public understanding of this all-important topic. The book will have to be engaged by those on all sides of the issue.”

I had John back to speak to our school community much against the wishes of my more liberal friends. I knew what he would do. He made his perspective clearly known and honored the people who had hard questions for him. The student becomes the teacher!

Statement From 60 Minutes About Producer's Resignation

John Yoo's Response to Injunctions