No matter how this Michael Cohen thing turns out, the lawyer has betrayed his former client Donald Trump. That’s a fact. As you know, Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty to a variety of crimes no one forced him to commit. And, now, in order to lessen his punishment, he is accusing his former friend of bad things.
The President must be getting used to this. Two alleged paramours both accepted cash from him to keep quiet about personal interactions that, again, no one forced them to do. Then after pocketing the hush money, they violated the agreements to keep quiet. More betrayal.
Of course, some will point to “circumstances” to diminish the betrayal part of these stories and, indeed, the media embraces the revelations no matter how they are delivered. In America, betrayal is now routine, accepted as standard behavior.
Divorce courts are packed with those betrayed by their intimate partners. Most judges couldn’t care less. It’s “no fault” time in the marital arena. No such thing as punishment for the betrayer anymore or even a stern word about it.
After all, there’s always an excuse, a rationalization. Rarely an admission that trust was violated.
American children see this up close and personal. As religion slowly recedes into non-relevance, the vivid story of Judas Iscariot is fading as well. But there is a reason the New Testament spends so much time on Judas. The act of betrayal is sinful the scriptures say, the betrayer of Jesus destroys himself in remorse.
That’s not likely to happen these days as betrayal is actually glorified in some ideological precincts, and in the awful world of gossip. If powerful people are harmed by those they once trusted, The View will pay the betrayer’s travel expenses to dish the dirt on TV. The women who betrayed Donald Trump have actually become celebrities.
Michael Cohen once publicly said he would always be loyal to “Mr. Trump.” He certainly knew the President’s character after working so closely with him. But now Cohen opines that his friend of many years is a danger to the country. Maybe Cohen is auditioning for the role of Brutus in the prison play.
The lawyer’s sudden impulse to protect America from Donald Trump is a bit dubious, don’t you think? Whether the President is guilty of anything or not is unknown at this point. But Mr. Cohen’s character is not unknown.
More worrisome is the fact that millions of married couples continue to proclaim their loyalty to each other in traditional wedding vows that were designed to emphasize fidelity. Sadly, these words mean little in modern America. Betrayal is now the order of the realm. And everyone should know it.
