GREAT

Perhaps you’re one of the 308 million Americans who know Donald Trump’s favorite word. As I write this, he’s tweeted it four times in the last three hours, once to describe Vince McMahon as one of the “greats”, his “great” dinner in Ohio, how “great” he feels watching the Senate work and how no one is “greater” friends than Australia and the United States.  Trump’s constantly stated goal is to make America great.

Great is shitty word.

Great is a word that gets people to stop talking instantly. How do you feel? Great. How was the meal? Great. How was the movie? Great. This answer translates as “I am satisfied, don’t feel like registering a complaint with you, or haven’t given any thought whatsoever to the particulars of the question you’ve asked therefore I will give you this one syllable word and we can move on.”

Great also denotes something big or powerful, like Great Britain, the Great Barrier Reef or Alexander the Great.  Geopolitical problems arise for countries when great isn’t good enough; like greater Germany, greater Serbia and greater Israel.

Great is the go to word when you want to spare somebody’s feelings.  “How do I look?” “Great.” “How was my band?” “Great” “What do you think of my soap-carving?” “I think it’s great.” Great is reassurance.  Great covers up the truth.

Which brings us back to the President, who sprinkles the word “great” like Velveeta cheese over all the broken, rotten things and people he touches.  White supremacists can be “great people”.  ICE does a “great job” protecting the country by separating children from their parents.  The economy is “doing great” as wages fall and trade wars begin. The tax cuts were “great” even though they will add crushing debt to ourselves and our children. His cabinet is “great” as they mismanage every department.  His energy policies are “great” as they hasten the death of our children.

So much greatness it’s pathetic.  How about instead of being great, we be decent?

Decent people care about their neighbors. Decent people are kind. Decent people don’t cheat and steal. Decent people share. Decent people want their children to have a healthy planet.

Forget making America great.  Let’s make America decent.