Reflections/Jonathan Gramling
The Great Heist
A Quick Note: On March 4th, Community Shares of Wisconsin will be hosting The Big Share, a local, grassroots fundraising effort facilitated by Community Shares with the proceeds going directly into the bank accounts of the approximately 70 members of Community Shares. Among the member agencies are long-time members like the NAACP Dane County and Unidos and newer agencies like Voces de la Frontera and Mentoring Positives. You can go to www.thebigshare.org beginning on Monday, March 3rd at 6 p.m. and ending the evening of March 4th to see who is all participating and give to these social justice causes. No amount of money is too small.
Especially during these difficult political and social times with the chaos and destructive tendencies of the Trump Administration, here is something that you can do about it on a local level. I plan to give on Tuesday. I hope that you do too.
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While the Trump Administration is clearly driven by ideology and revenge, I think increasingly we need to follow the money. Underlying ideology — which can be used as much for a smokescreen for other nefarious activities — are personal self-interest and greed.
Just look at Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign. While he was raising over $100 million for his reelection supposedly, tens of millions of dollars was spent on his legal fees for things that he did when he wasn’t president the first time around. In essence, Trump did a bait and switch and I can’t help but think that his use of the funds on his legal fees was illegal and should be prosecuted someday.
Trump also sold his own specialized Bibles — made in China — and made $300,000. Did Trump run for president to make money or to serve his country? I can’t help but feel that Trump and his buddy Elon Musk are going to take the money and run. I think they look at the Federal Government as a financial bonanza and a tool to further the accumulation of wealth.
In order to pull off this Great Heist, Trump — and when I say Trump, think Trump and Musk — first needed to obscure the ability of the public to observe what they were up to. So within five days of being sworn in, Trump began his firing of more than 15 inspectors general. Inspectors general act as independent watchdogs for their organizations, investigating and reporting on fraud, waste, and abuse. Why would Trump get rid of them if his stated goal was to eliminate fraud and waste.
These firings were like Trump spraying black paint on the “cameras” within the federal Government so that no one could see what he was up to.
For the past 1-2 weeks, Trump has been pummeling Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, accusing him of being antidemocratic, the cause of the war with Russia and basically setting the stage for the U.S. turning its back on the Ukraine and giving Russia a free hand.
Now we find out that Trump has been negotiating a mineral rights deal with the Ukraine.
“Materials such as graphite, lithium, uranium and the 17 chemical elements known as rare earths are critical for economic growth and national security,” said a CNN article. “They are essential to the production of electronics, clean energy technology, including wind turbines, energy networks and electric vehicles — think Tesla —, as well as some weapons systems.”
Has this just been a business deal for Trump? How will these mineral rights be handled and who will benefit financially from this deal? And is it just a coincidence that Apple just announced that it would be investing $500 billion in the U.S., creating new manufacturing facilities. The new jobs will be a good thing, but watch the money to see who makes a pile of money in this minerals deal.
Earlier this month — February seems to have lasted forever due to each new Trump directive — Trump announced that he would push for Palestinians to be removed from Gaza and replaced by another playground for the rich and famous. Well an AI-generated view of this new playground appeared on social media and smack dab in the middle was Trump Gaza, apparently Trump’s newest building project.
“US President Donald Trump posted a video on his Truth Social account late on Tuesday, which appears to have been created with generative AI, promoting the transformation of Gaza into a Gulf state-like resort featuring a golden statue of himself, a hummus-eating Elon Musk, and shirtless American and Israeli leaders lounging on a beach,” a CNN article
said. ’No more tunnels, no more fear,’ a voice sings over a dance beat. ‘Trump Gaza is finally here!’”
The Palestinians who live in Gaza have been partially removed through the last 14 months of war. This is their homeland. The vast majority of the world — including the U.S. historically — has backed a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, a solution that Israel has never backed. And so — apparently with his own financial gain in mind — Trump has promoted the removal of the Palestinians and creating a Monte Carlo of the East. I wonder if Trump tried to bribe, in essence, some of the Arab leaders in the region by offering them a cut of the action.
The Great Heist is just beginning. Follow the money and see how the rich get richer overnight.