From the 'Bully Pulpit' to the "Bully's Pulpit'
During past decades the United States witnessed presidents stepping forward to boldly advocate a hopeful future for our nation, e.g. Washington’s “Farewell Address” and Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.”
President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) was the first to identify his office as a “bully pulpit,” a perfect platform to “preach” his political agenda to The People.
Another Roosevelt, Franklin (1933-1945), used radio “Fireside Chats” during the Great Depression and World War II to calm an anxious nation.
Today, world leaders have an amazing array of platforms available to communicate with their citizens. Perhaps too many.
The old-fashioned Bully Pulpit has become lost day by day in a conflagration of info from many talking heads, e.g. Online Simplicable provides us a list of 55 all-day information sources.
So, with no common platform available for leadership, what happens? Citizens are caught in a quagmire of mixed messages and, too often, high officials become “bullies” to dominate the spotlight and leave opponents shaking their heads. Alternative opinions are from “jealous or stupid people.”
A bully is an expert at pulling complex issues down to earth, e.g. warfare can be advantageous because “… the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH.” This tactic allows a Bully to disavow what they said. His/her mixed messages keep opponents on defense.
Example: President Trump, in his first term, pledged to become a peacemaker “like no other” and often cited dubious examples — including the kidnapping of Venezuela’s dictatorial president Nicolás Maduo.
Thereafter, he became upset when “his” 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuela’s interim-president, María Corina Machado.
And what about the U.S./Iran peace deal? I don’t believe you get a Nobel for ending a war you began. Therefore, his position, today, on the Iran War is: “We guarded the (Hormuz) strait for 50 years … and we never got paid for it … (now) we’re going to get paid for guarding it, a lot of money.”
Among these events, with little explanation, President Donald Trump suggested the world needs a “Donroe” Doctrine (get it? Don/Donald), similar to U.S. President Monroe’s decree in 1823 that “protected” all of Latin America under America’s flag.
Trump would add our U.S. “Department of War” army, navy, air force, Space Force, and special ops.
Elsewhere, Cuba has appeared in his cross-hairs, now a White House target after first term Trump disallowed President Obama’s attempts to improve trade between the U.S. and Cuba. Trump also revoked President Biden’s attempts to improve communications.
Cuba, with a checkered history going back to Spain’s occupation after 1492, and a century of disagreements between Spain and the U.S. This tiny island would not gain self-governance until 1934 — and a future filled with problems.
Into the 1950s Fulgencio Batista governed as an autocrat with U.S. backing and American corporate investments. That is until Fidel Castro and his rebels removed Batista to create a Soviet-style “Peoples Government” and later survived a U.S. backed Bay of Pigs invasion to sign a treaty with the USSR.
In 1962, fearing a full-scale U.S. invasion, Castro allowed the Soviets to deploy nuclear missiles on the island. This high-level international crisis was resolved with President John Kennedy’s blockade of Cuba; the USSR removal of missiles; and the U.S. removal of nuclear weapons in Turkey.
No super bombs required. Another result witnessed more than 250,000 Cuban “exiles” being accepted into the USA — many being middle class or blue-collar workers.
Today the Cuban kettle is being stirred again as the White House blockades this island with a series of trumped-up charges, evidently, to challenge anew this small, distressed island 90 miles off Florida’s coast.
In recent weeks Trump announced that after the Iran “problem” is resolved the U.S. will be “taking over Cuba almost immediately.” But who? What? Why? This is Bully speak. This is kicking someone after they fall down.
From Harvard University Dr. Alejandro de la Fuente explains: the White House has “pushed Cuba into what I would now describe as a humanitarian crisis.”
The U.S. stopped oil shipments (stolen from Venezuela), resulting in widespread electric blackouts (think hospitals), and disrupted food imports (70% to 80% of Cuba’s domestic foods).
A more recent action taken by the White House was declaring a “national security emergency” with a criminal indictment of former Cuban president Raul Castro (age 95).
The event: a 1996 downing of two planes in Cuban air space operated by “Brothers to the Rescue” (with known CIA connections).
In response to Trump’s continued rhetoric, Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has warned the United States is on a “dangerous path” that could lead to a “bloodbath.”
Most recently the White House defended its sanctions after a United Nations’ human rights official warned U.S. actions are causing “widespread harm to the population and endangering lives.”
Perhaps adding insult to injury (Bullies like to do that), Adys Lastres Morera, a lawful U.S. resident and sister of a Cuban military official, was arrested by ICE for ???
And then Cuba, Mexico and Florida were shaken by the strongest earthquake in nearly 150 years. I’m somewhat surprised someone didn’t take credit for that.
Larry Clark is a Burke County educator, historian, and author who provides occasional columns for The Paper. He may be reached atlarryclark2880@icloud.com.
