It must be very clear by now that the individual chosen to run this country, Donald Trump, and those around him, have a set of personal values that are vastly different from those of most people. They also have the power, or pretend to have the power, to impose those values on us, our nation and on the world. 

The vast majority of people know what decency is. It is a value we should learn at home and at school when we are growing up. We learn to value life and those things that support it. We learn respect for ourselves and for others. We learn to tell the truth, mind our behavior, and mind the quality of what comes out of our mouth. In my case as a child some of these values were enforced with a bar of soap in my mouth or by being sent to my room from the dinner table. There was discipline in my life. Other parents teach values in their own way. 

What evidence is there that Donald Trump was exposed to or adopted the value of decency? During Trump’s first term in office (2017 - 2021) as “The Leader of the Free World,” the Washington Post developed a very respected “Fact Checker” team because of Trump’s propensity for telling obvious lies. He does it to protect the world of illusions he lives in and to impose his agenda on others. After four years, according to Fact Checker, he had made 30,573 false or misleading claims, i.e., lies. He hasn’t stopped. His values of vulgarity, contempt for women, and disdain for non-affluent and non-white people are legendary. 

One can’t make rational and fair decisions without access to the truth. The phrase: “Truth is the first casualty of war” speaks to that. And the malignant Donald Trump is at war with the vast majority of the American people through his lies. 

The initial concept of formal “fact-checker” organizations quickly spread around the world. As of June of 2023 there were 417 formal fact-checkers worldwide verifying and debunking misinformation in over 100 countries and in 69 languages according to the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. This effort is not just a partisan political stunt, but reflects a widely shared value: truth. 

Concerning his values, a recent video shows President Donald Trump standing in a room in the newly-gilded White House with some of his numerous billionaire friends. He gleefully points to multi-billionaire Charles Schwab of the same-named investment firm and proudly announces: “He made two and a half billion dollars today and he (another person) made 900 million.” White House aides and guests laugh. In all likelihood that vast financial windfall was created by stock market manipulation with Trump’s on again off again tariffs. It was at the expense of ordinary, earnest investors. 

I recently saw the word “Birkin” related to what is currently considered trendy by the super rich. Turns out a “Birkin” refers to the most coveted and costly handbag in the world. They are each made by a highly-trained artisan employed by Hermès, a luxury fashion house in France. The bags come in an array of different animal hides or skins and in beautiful colors. They are sold by pre-order only. The cost for one ranges from tens of thousands to a million dollars or more. They need to be ordered months or years ahead of time and the potential customer may or may not get one. They are favorites of the people being given tax breaks by Trump as we lose our jobs, financial security and healthcare insurance to Trump government budget cuts. 

In addition, CNN has just announced the production of the world’s thinnest “tourbillon” watch. The story states that: “Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra squeezes the intricate mechanism into a timepiece 1.85 mm thick.” Ten were made and they sell for $678,000 each. (My $18 Casio from Walmart marks the same time.) 

More tax breaks for the rich were just passed by the Republican-controlled House in a bill deeply cutting Medicaid and food stamps used by lower income people. The rationale given that these cuts are necessary to reduce the federal budget deficit is bogus because according to Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a budget negotiator, the proposed Trump budget will increase the national debt by at least $20 trillion over ten years. Malice. 

The reality is that endeavors launched without the intent of love do not make sense or contain decent values. Therefore, they are often hidden within something that seems to make sense or be real in order to make them palatable, but the malice lies within. For example, while DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) has a pleasing name and clearly seems like a good idea, it has malicious intentions. When you see sincere, talented people losing their jobs and being thrown into chaos for no apparent reason, the intentions within are revealed. People who are serving others by protecting valuable public lands have been laid off without justification. Skilled research scientists in federal programs with the resources to end, among others, the scourge of childhood cancer, have been fired with little or no explanation. 

It is true that “people live their values.” So we will now need to clarify our values and become active in defending them. How much does it mean to us? We shall see. 

Dr. Lenderts has lived and worked in the valley for over twenty years. He is and has been active in public health, social, political, and environmental issues.