Kathrine Frich
The most frightening part for the veteran conservative is the total lack of public backlash.
When politicians use high office to get rich, the public usually responds with fierce outrage.
Voters expect elected officials to serve the country. But sometimes that anger simply vanishes.
That chilling silence leaves seasoned political observers deeply worried about the future.
A shocking silence
Peggy Noonan has spent decades championing conservative politics. The former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan recently shared a grim warning about the current state of her party. Writing for the Wall Street Journal cited by Raw Story, she outlined a dark picture of modern political corruption.
She argued that President Donald Trump has perfected a terrifying new era of self-dealing.
The veteran writer broke his actions down into two specific categories. “I see two general areas, personal enrichment and the use of government to satisfy private goals,” wrote Noonan.
Surging family wealth
The former speechwriter pointed to a massive financial boom for the president and his family. This rapid growth goes far beyond normal stock market gains.
According to her essay, Trump businesses now hold stakes in industries regulated by his own administration.
Foreign investors are also pouring cash directly into his pockets. She highlighted a United Arab Emirates national security adviser taking a financial stake in a presidential cryptocurrency project. “The size and means of this enrichment would seem . . . dubious? Careless of appearances? Appalling?” she asked in her column.
Punishing the enemy
The corruption extends well beyond simple money. Noonan pointed out that the government regularly targets political rivals while rewarding loyal friends. She cited reports of officials “bending, testing or getting around the law to make the administration’s friends happy and enemies sad.”
This includes launching bizarre investigations and pressuring media companies. Lobbyists even use cash to secure political pardons. Decades ago, any single one of these actions would have destroyed a political career instantly.
A dangerous apathy
The most frightening part for the veteran conservative is the total lack of public backlash. Voters simply do not care anymore. She wrote that “an odd thing about all this is the absence of furor.
There is no broad public outcry. Why? Because corruption is a constant and ‘the other side is dirty too.’ Because the scandal threshold has skyrocketed.”
She warned that this unchecked behavior will eventually destroy American leadership on the global stage. The country is quickly losing the moral high ground that defined previous generations. “We were the morally rectitudinous Doughboy GI Marshall Planning JFK and Ronnie People who made the wall come down,” Noonan wrote.
Sources: Raw Story, Wall Street Journal
