He’s unleashed a torrent of actions to see which would pan out. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really care about any one of them. The success rate is meaningless to Trump. He just wants that, overall, the super-rich get richer and democracy is diminished until he’s instated as King Donald I.
Rebuilding Gaza
Since the Egyptian and Jordanian regimes financially depend on the US, Trump thought to invite the leaders and bully them into accepting the Gazans. Jordan’s King went and giggled. The Egyptian president simply canceled the visit and presented his own Gaza rebuild program. That should be financed by oil nations who’ll promise billions and give nothing.
Trade Wars
Canada, Mexico, Panama, Europe, Denmark, and China all fought back. Trump calculated how much they depend on the US but forgot that the US depends on them too. Big mistake. He’s losing each trade war he began.
Deportations and Travel Bans
Most of them will be blocked by judges. Trump still gains racism seeming strong and non-Whites getting scared, but White resistance is gaining.
A judge stopped Trump from deporting a foreign anti-Israel agitator. Left-wing Jews held mass demonstrations because singling out aliens is racist.
When Trump said he wants the judge who blocked his deportation order impeached, the Chief Justice declared that only appeals are open to him.
Birthright
Trump ordered citizenship by birth void for children of immigrants (Dreamers). The judge said, You can’t do that.
DOGE
Trump and Musk manage to sow a lot of chaos that must prepare for the demise of democracy and lay the groundwork for an absolute monarchy.
Yet, many of the grotesque measures strand in court and in the court of public opinion. His popularity is nosediving.
Judges reinstated tens of thousands of USAID workers fired indiscriminately and ordered to help them to be able to work as always.
Trump offered buyouts to all 2 M federal workers, which a judge blocked.
A judge ordered Trump to reinstate thousands of probationary workers laid off in a mass firing across 18 agencies.
Fired workers and their States are suing Trump for unlawful dismissals.
Meanwhile, the public is hitting Musk where it hurts most. Tesla stocks lost 50% of their value; no one wants to buy them or can even sell them.
NATO
Trump thought to help Putin by bullying NATO. NATO is not impressed. They say ‘your loss’ and do fine sans the US—just like the EU in general.
Ukraine
He would stop that war ‘on day one.’ Of course, he couldn’t. ‘I have a great relationship with Putin.’ If that were true, he didn’t have to be president to ask him to stop the war. To do so, Russia only needs to end its aggression. But Trump is Putin’s poodle, so Putin plays Trump, period.
Social Security
Presently, the outrage is too large for Trump to cut Social Security service.
Transgender
A judge voids random firing of transgender military personnel.
A judge stopped Trump’s order to halt transgender care in prisons.
DEI
An appeals court unanimously undid Trump’s firing of all minority and women leaders on a baseless claim they were all employed because of reverse discrimination. A chutzpah from a guy who never got any diploma.
A judge blocked Trump’s order to end federal support for DEI programs.
MABA
Make America Bigoted Again is whipping up a lot of grassroots opposition.
Assistance Freeze
A judge blocked a freeze on all federal aid meant for the underprivileged.
AI
Trump triumphantly announced data centers and an investment of $0.5T that would make the US the world leader in Artificial Intelligence (and espionage). Within a day, China proved it’s way ahead of the US. Total flop.
Inflation
Trump is getting rid of inflation, alright. The economy’s heading toward a recession. Thanks for the help. Not just has shopping not turned cheaper. Soon, the dollars to pay for it will be worth less. Watch his popularity dive. That’s not shooting someone in broad daylight in the middle of Fifth Ave.
Revenge
A judge blocked Trump from targeting the law firm Perkins Coie.
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, the Democrats are trying to outdo the Republicans in their grand betrayal of the population’s needs. This is so far beyond my understanding. The Jewish Press suggests that a government shutdown would have been worse because then all federal payments would stop, and Trump could decide not to pay Social Security or any other vulnerable group. But could he? But John Stewart says it well:
Yet, I’m not into making people depressed. So, to lift your spirit and hope, consider Bernie 2028. Only, Israel needs to win all its wars before then.
MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. *
As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. *
This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2000 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog, to which one may subscribe too, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. *
Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. *
Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. *
Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. *
He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. *
He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. *
He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. *
His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. *
To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. *
His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1