Monday, May 15, 2017

Goodfellas, Gotti, Hitler and Trump



https://www.bostonglobe.com/…/6unHo4xZ2wfPqnF4xd…/story.html


The ‘Badfellas’ presidency rolls on - The Boston Globe


"This presidency operates like a criminal enterprise, the likes of which we’ve only witnessed in Martin Scorsese gangster films."


My Comment:

I thought the above a brilliant opinion and an insightful analogy of Trump to "Good Fellas " (one of my favorite gangster films) and Mafioso John Gotti. I keep asking myself what the hell does anyone see in this guy Trump who is as transparent as a fishbowl and as evil as a piranha. He has zero heart and absolutely no conscience. He is government of himself, by himself and for himself.

So what do I like about "Goodfellas?" It is, I suppose, the power of these men; the feeling of safety one might have in their presence. The irony, of course, is that there is no safety in their presence and, in truth, they are not even safe from themselves.

The baddest character in "Good Fellas" is played by Joe Pesci. Everyone was scared stiff of this guy whose vicious temper could turn on a dime against someone and have them killed if they as much as looked at him the wrong way. In the end the killer of killers Joe Pecci's character is whacked. No one is safe in the world of "Goodfellas." All it takes to get whacked is one bad move and someone removes even the remover. The rats are everywhere and worse for those in the world of "Goodfellas" no one knows who the rats are just ask Billy Bulger.

Over the weekend I watched the docudrama "Downfall" which was a reenactment of the last days of Adolph Hitler in his bunker in Berlin as the allies with the Russian bear are closing in. Destruction is everywhere and it is brutal--second only to a nuclear blast. Accounts of that time in the bunker say Hitler was prone to wild rages, fury and anger one could only describe as cyclonic. He is told his beloved German people are surrounded and thousands will die if Germany does not surrender but he does not care, will not surrender and thinks the German people worthy of death because they did not win for him.

The simile of Hitler's last days of rage reminded me of Trump in the White House now as a Russian bear of another sort is closing in. Trump's tirades and accusations against even those who support him are said to be explosive. There is no trust in the White House now as everyone fears everyone else but the most fear is reserved toward Trump who carries the key to everyone's survival.

Inside "Goodfellas," Trump and, yes, Hitler, too, lurk feelings of utter powerlessness and weakness deep in the marrow of their bones. They do not feel powerful at all. They feel impotent and weak. If they felt truly powerful they would not have to tell us over and over and over again how powerful, successful and wonderful they are even when events dictate otherwise and the emperor can be seen not wearing any clothes.

The end of Trump's reign of terror may not be pretty or swift. Trump and his henchman's end may happen in impeachment, conviction and, I hope, jail. It would be like a thousand pound weight lifted off the American people's shoulders. Maybe then our Republic will survive and paraphrasing what President Ford said of the crook Nixon: our long national nightmare will be over!

NOT ANYMORE

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