This president’s proclivity for deploying distractions to avert public scrutiny of what’s really going on and what the effects are, has consequences far beyond the obfuscation of illicit activity. Outlandish assertions cover up the undermining of democratic principles and the evisceration of critical institutions. National capacity to address our most critical concerns is severely hampered. Most nefarious is the theft of a decent future from young Americans.

In the 20 months since President Donald Trump took office, he has overwhelmed public discourse with a virtual tsunami of distractions. The theme of all of them, some personal, some national, some international, is domination.

Perpetual Bluster: “I’m in charge; I’m on top of this; I keep winning in Iran”—over and over again.

Acquisition Aspirations: Encroaching on other countries’ sovereignty—Canada, Greenland, Venezuela, Cuba.

Grandiose Building Projects Aimed at Redefining National Identity: A gigantic ballroom, a triumphal arch, a rehabbed national arts center.

Reverberations of “Dear Leader”: Affixing his name to major institutions, his picture on paper currency and passports.

Arbitrary Prosecutions and Harassment: Indictments regardless of cause—James Comey, John Bolton, Letitia James.

There is frequently a measure of verisimilitude to these moves, yet the timing of their announcement usually coincides with developments that the administration would rather the public not heed. Included are links to Jeffrey Epstein, subverting the independence of the Department of Justice, suspicious stock market windfalls. That the media feels obliged to report the distractions as news may be understandable, but the result is that they become complicit in promoting increasingly outrageous distortions.

Good governance is defined by the concentration of attention to matters central to public welfare, not only in the moment, but in the long term. This is what we count on from our elected leaders. To our misfortune, the main aim of the present administration is “pillage and plunder,” so as to feed private coffers. Beyond covering up seedy, illicit, and corrosive activity, these manufactured diversions detract from a focus on addressing common needs.

Rather than expending the energy to mislead, our government should be about injecting consideration of the following concerns into public discourse. Sidelining them will likely be this........

© Common Dreams