It's Not Just the Name of a Mountain

It’s not just a mountain. Denali, named by native Alaskans, means “high one” and is the tallest peak on our continent. Donald Trump has now officially changed the name back to Mt. McKinley.

As one Alaskan said in an AP story, “I don’t know a single person that likes the idea, and we’re pretty vocal about it. Denali respects the Indigenous people that have been here and around Denali for tens of thousands of years.” Indeed, even Alaska’s two Republican senators oppose the Trump action.

But Trump’s order is not just a one off. It’s part of a white power agenda. Why respect Native Americans, when you can cheapen them with a White colonialist honorific? As has been pointed out recently, President McKinley never set foot in Alaska.

Nine U.S. military bases named for Confederate generals had those names struck by Congress in 2022. Now Pete Hegseth says the Confederate names should be restored. Why be satisfied with Fort Liberty, when we can revert to Fort Bragg? Braxton Bragg, after all, committed insurrection against the United States to keep Black people enslaved. Bragg, incidentally, lost almost every battle he fought. Not the kind of “warrior culture” Hegseth so admires.

Of course, the point for MAGA is to keep Whites in control. Just as all the Confederate statues erected in the early 20th century were to keep Blacks in their place.

Same with abolishing DEI or ending PEPFAR. Who cares if millions of Africans die of HIV? Certainly not this brand of Christians now in power. Deporting as many brown people as possible is in vogue. As Trump told a gathering of millionaires last year, “Why can’t we allow people to come in from nice countries, Denmark, Switzerland? Do we have any people coming in from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway?” Nice countries are White countries.

Danes are likely on Trump’s enemies list now because they won’t let him grab Greenland the way McKinley grabbed Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines with his fake Spanish American War. “Remember the Maine!”

McKinley’s pro-business, tariff and imperialist policies certainly burst America onto the world stage, but the legacy costs were enormous.

And here’s another McKinley horror that is rarely mentioned. Loyal listeners of my radio show will remember our discussions about the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898. Wilmington, NC, then the most populous city in the state, had a burgeoning Black middle class. When a biracial, fusion city government was elected in 1898, a mob of White supremacists set fire to Black businesses and the city’s newspaper office, murdered Black citizens at will (up to 300 by some counts) and drove thousands of others out of town. It was a violent coup d’etat. Citizens appealed to President McKinley to help stop the massacre and, later, to help what was left of the Black community rebuild. There was no response.

William McKinley is Trump’s new favorite president. And it’s easy to see why.

TRUMP'S DANGEROUS BLUSTER

Baby Trump is having temper tantrums about Greenland and Panama. He won't invade either place.

He may get some minor concessions on mining rights or more US troops in Greenland --which we can do through negotiations NOW -- and claim some "magnificent victory." The breast-beating is all for show.

If he actually invaded Panama or went to war with Denmark over Greenland (violating NATO's Article 5), he'd be toast. Not to mention it would give China a green light to invade Taiwan.

This childish posturing -- plus the brazen lies he told at the Davos economic forum this week -- just cheapens the United States abroad. Yes, world leaders MUST deal with him because he is in power. But Trump's is a dangerous game. The havoc he might unleash could plunge the world into unfathomable economic and geopolitical crises.

Will he slap 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico on February 1? If he DOES, those countries will fall into recession and their retaliation will flatten the U.S. economy. If he DOES NOT, what was all the bluster about? To force them into what concessions? Again, he'll make up some "incredible victory" he achieved, but that will be all BS, all red meat for MAGA.

Trump fans laud his bullying and bravado. But that is exactly what can lead us to ruin in a world that demands serious and critical thinking.

His tariff and massive deportation talk is already pushing Latin American countries away from us and toward China.

Make no mistake, Trump is doing serious damage at home. His actions will make the rich richer while Republicans cut Medicare, Medicaid, and other essential lifelines for 90% of Americans.

The ravages of climate change (costing us trillions) will worsen because of his fossil fuel mania -- while he shuns WIND AND SOLAR.

The rule of law is already obliterated, and he will seek to turn civil servants, the courts, and the press into his personal goon squads.

True patriots will fight this diminution of our democratic values at every turn. We must and we will. The only question is how much damage he will do before there is a check on his power.