In 49 B.C., Julius Caesar, governor of Gaul, and his legion forded the Rubicon, the dividing line between Gaul and Italy, and marched on Rome, thus declaring civil war.

Rome was the last of the free cities that had existed throughout the Mediterranean. They had vanished and finally only Rome, a republic, remained. Her people were free citizens of the republic, not subjects of a single ruler. The Roman Republic of a thousand years ended with Caesars invasion and the Roman Empire and rule of emperors actually dictators began.

The founders of our republic drew in part from the republican pillars of Rome as well as those of Athens and also from the Magna Carta in forming our country. They recognized the critical necessity of these and other imperatives to the construction and continuance of a democratic republic.

Donald Trump has crossed the Rubicon and has declared war on the republic of the United States. His goal is singular: disassemble our republic and remake it to his desire.

The foundations of our republic and the creation and protraction of our system of orderly government and citizen rights and protections are of no consequence to him or his minions.

Government agencies, judicial actions and beacons of freedom such as a free press are to be remade, ridiculed, silenced or eliminated.

He has removed the director of national intelligence and the military Joint Chiefs of Staff from the Principals Committee of the National Security Council because he knows more about intelligence than they. Hes replaced them with Steve Bannon and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, neither of whom has any experience in that bodys charge or work.

They will, however, do his bidding.

He pledges repeal of the Dodd-Frank Act, legislation that in essence limits how banks may invest, regulates certain credit card rules and, most significantly, makes homebuyers understanding of mortgage instruments easier and prevents unscrupulous lending practices.

This act is intended to prevent repeat of the disastrous implosion of the mortgage industry and bank failures in 2008-09 that resulted in massive home mortgage foreclosures, job losses and recession.

Repeal will benefit banks but not borrowers. Banks already are showing pleasure with repeal possibility.

Words and actions on other issues testify to his and his sycophants belligerence, dismissiveness of people and institutions they dislike and efforts to wrest power, such as: elimination of Planned Parenthood funding; the recent ban on immigration from selected countries; abolition of sanctuary cities; insult and castigation of a judge with whose decision he disagrees; Bannons rant that the media is the opposition party and needs to keep its mouth shut; silencing of Sen. Warren. The list is already endless.

His lack of understanding of domestic and international economic and political matters is mind-boggling. He denigrates the United Nations. He has sown divides between us and other governments.

We are at war with Trump and company. We should not believe otherwise. He is a clear and present danger. He is indeed the enemy within. The emperor must be deposed.

(Arnold Coda lives in Hopkinton.)

Original post:

My Turn: Make no mistake President Trump is the enemy - Concord Monitor