When asked by a reporter for The New York Times, when he thought America was last 'great', Trump chose the late '40s and the '50s. "We were not pushed around, we were respected by everybody, we had just won a war, we were pretty much doing what we had to do."
Trump's twisted version of America is focused, almost solely, on being the biggest and baddest bully on the block. It's a vision of the America First mindset taken to it's most bizarre extreme. Donald Trump's America is the Fourth Reich.
Trump rarely offers specifics on exactly how his policies would 'make America great again', plus, he flips flops so often, that it's hard to pin him down. But what if we use his own hateful rhetoric to help visualize the America of Donald Trump's Dreams?
It might look something like this:
On the economy: "Taxes too high, wages too high, we're not going to be able to compete against the world."
The Donald thinks Americans, at least those of us who aren't billionaires, make too damn much money. With the help of far-right legislative and judicial branches, he puts in place high tariffs (which increases the cost of many goods) and institutes a federal maximum wage. In Trump's America, income for workers goes down, while the cost of living skyrockets. The result is a state of permanent economic depression. Hey, at least we're screwing the Chinese.
On free speech: "The press is amazingly dishonest. The press is the real problem in this country."
Claiming national security, libel laws are expanded, making it easier to sue and silence news outlets. In Trump's America, The Fourth Estate, and freedom of speech, is suppressed and The First Amendment to The Constitution, is--for all intent and purposes--suspended.
On resolving conflict: "Maybe he should have been roughed up."
When a Black Lives Matter protester was assaulted by Trump supporters at a rally, The Donald approved. On several occasions, (referring to protesters) he's even encouraged his supporters, to "Knock the crap out of them." In the America of Donald Trump's Dreams, civil discourse is discouraged and disagreements are settled with a punch in the face.
On human rights: "They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists and some, I assume, are good people...."
The Donald deports eleven million minorities and bans all Muslims. In his America, there's one set of rights for whites, and another, lesser one, for everyone else. The whole idea of equality goes right out the window.
On the climate: "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
Trump approves the Keystone pipeline, eliminates the Environmental Protection Agency and removes all restrictions on coal. Under Trumps stewardship, polluters are free to use the air, water and soil as open sewers, and America's environment becomes Third World. Cough, cough.
On the rule of law: "The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families."
The Donald totally disregards the law. Torture, guilt by association, and summary execution replace habeas corpus and due process. Trump's America goes rogue and becomes an outlaw nation; a pariah, shunned by the rest of the world.
On war: "That's the problem with our country. A politician would say, 'Oh I would never go to war,' or they'd say, 'Oh I would go to war.' I don't want to say what I'd do because, again, we need unpredictability."
The Donald threatens to makes good his campaign pledge to attack ISIS stronghold cities with atomic weapons. With such reckless abandon on display, the other nuclear powers put their militaries on high alert. The world teeters on the brink of thermonuclear war. Church attendance soars.
Darby Roach is a writer, adventurer and observer of world politics. He recently rode his bicycle around the world and has written a new book about the odyssey, Over The Hill And Around The World: A Baby Boomer's Ride To The End Of The Earth.