A few months ago, I received a copy of the Harvard Business School Alumni Bulletin. The Secretary of Section A (my section) in the Class of 1967 urged long lost classmates to write in with news about their lives. I thought to myself, “What the heck. This is an opportunity to get my voice out there to America’s executive class. I’ll take it.”
First, some background. I chose to go to Harvard Business School for a most flimsy reason: I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and, well, Harvard is Harvard. The planets were aligned against me. At 22, I was perhaps the youngest member in the Class. I had had no business or military experience. My parents had just separated. My brother disappeared for a year during my time there, a disappearance that led to someone from the FBI interviewing me. My first child was born during my second year. My wife and I had to live 45 minutes from campus to be near her teaching job, which allowed for little meaningful interaction with other students. And I was not comfortable speaking in front of the 100 other students in my Section, a big drawback. Not a recipe for success.
In my write-up to the Class Secretary I began with a recap of my life to date. I then flipped the script and took the podium. “My biggest concern now, and a frequent topic in my weekly newspaper column, is the state of the nation under Donald Trump. In my view, there was and is no justification for supporting him unless one is rich and likes tax cuts for the wealthy. He has no character, no morals, no ethics, no concern for the common good, and no interest in anything beyond his own brand and bank account. He’s turned the Republican Party into the Trump party. (Note: I voted for Nixon, and I supported John McCain until he put Sarah Palin on the ticket.) Trump is not ‘conservative’ (check out the deficit compared with that under Obama); he is not ‘Christian’ (reread the Ten Commandments); and he is not ‘patriotic’ (he ignores the Constitution while trashing our allies and sucking up to dictators). I was very disappointed with HBS graduate Mitt Romney (MBA 1974) who, after calling out Trump for the charlatan he is, totally wimped out after returning to the Senate. Again, the GOP is now the Trump party. As the next election approaches, we should all consider seriously whether Trump will be the best choice in 2020 for our nation and our children and grandchildren. We are in a battle for the very soul of
America. Sermon ended. I welcome anyone who disagrees with my views to defend their support of Trump in the next issue, beyond touting his tax cuts for the rich.”
My section Secretary was delighted to get my write-up and promised to feature me in the next issue. It ran a few weeks ago.
It will be interesting to see if any classmates respond in the next issue. I doubt that they will. After all, who wants to admit that their votes are driven solely by greed, the consequences for the nation be damned.
The last few weeks have revealed even more draconian actions of Trump and his gang of enablers and grifters. There’s the matter of holding back approved funds for Ukraine in order to get dirt on Joe Biden. And, oh yes, withdrawing troops from the Ukraine, leaving the Kurds to fend for themselves. And the increasingly unhinged screeds he gives at his rallies. I don’t know whether the Republican members of Congress — including our own waffling Senator Susan Collins — will ever find the spine to do what’s best for the nation. As Trump always says, “Let’s see what happens.”
As columnist David Brooks rightly noted, “The president’s repulsive behavior is tolerated or even celebrated by tens of millions of Americans. At the root of it all is the following problem: We’ve created a culture based on lies.” I do question the patriotism, judgment, values and common sense of anyone who believes that Trump deserves four more years to divide our nation, trash our Constitution and tarnish our reputation in the world.
David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com.