Giving Thanks for Trump

As the Trump Administration enters its last lap, it is time to give it some props for all the good it has done.*  No, he hasn't given us roads or aqueducts as infrastructure week has been perpetually postponed.  But thanks to Trump:

• We know more clearly than ever that the GOP is the Party of Bad Faith, as they have let him violate the laws with no restraint, they have acted blatantly hypocritically about SCOTUS seats, and more.  They are now encouraging violence being deployed against the Democrats--thanks, Marco!  So, we know now not to take seriously any qualms they have about ... damned near anything.
• We know that those who claim to be the most Christian are actually the least.  Evangelical types in the US have proven to care far more about power than about life, given their support for kids in cages and anti-masking and all the rest.  Holier than thou?  No, hole-ier than thou, absolutely.  Again, in the future, we can tell them to shove their righteous indignation as we know with absolute certainty that they are willing to sell out their supposed values for a little bit of power.
• We know more clearly than ever that those who claim that they need their guns to fight against tyranny are actually ... tyrants in waiting.  When faced with the government's abuse of power, they sided with the government, not those protesting governments harming innocent people.  It turns out the NRA and the gun rights folks are really more about racism and being on the right side of autocracy than about liberty and freedom and all that.  They don't want to water the tree of liberty, they want to burn it down. 
• We know more clearly the costs of trade wars--that real people pay the price for raising tariffs.  
• We know more clearly that civilians should be the ones controlling the armed forces, not recent retirees from the armed forces. 
• We know that corruption is not just a moral bad but a public policy bad, as it leads to bad outcomes beyond the loss of $.  
• We know more clearly that national health care is desperately needed.
• We know that prevention is better than a cure, pandemic edition.
  
• We know more clearly than ever that nepotism is bad, thanks to Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka, and Jared. 
• Oh, and we know that businesspeople with no policy experience suck at governing.
  

I could go on, of course, as it has been a long four years.  We knew most of these things before Trump, but he has taken what was theoretical or posited and provided more than enough definitive proof of these dynamics.  There is something to be said for having clear eyes.  Oh yeah:

 *  To be clear, all of this good stuff does not outweigh the unnecessary COVID deaths, the kids in cages and family separations, and the burning down of institutions and norms.