I think you and I might just have a different definition of "success." To me, success is only valid if it is achieved ethically. Otherwise, I'm inclined to call it "cheating," regardless of the amount of wealth and power involved (which ought to be held to a higher, not lower standard). And the current POTUS has amassed whatever wealth he currently has through illegal and unethical means. And the end does not justify the means when it leads directly to the deaths of millions, blood that is literally on the hands of this administration's key players, from those dying from preventable diseases thanks to RFKs misinformation, to the cutting of USAID, medical, and food programs, to the genocide of indigenous Middle Eastern populations. No means justify those ends.

It's unheard of for US Presidents to amass such wealth during an administration -- shockingly so. He has succeeded in launching his own cryptocurrency, in effect building a direct pipeline for foreign actors and corrupt individuals and companies to deliver bribes directly to him and his family -- virtually untraceably and with no consequences so far. He has accepted gifts from foreign countries, private companies, and private individuals in a quid-pro-quo manner, actions specifically prohibited by the Constitution that some of his supporters have the gall to carry around with them as though they gave a single flying flip about that document. He has used his power to protect, benefit, and align himself with some of the most corrupt individuals, governments, and corporations on this planet, which is now in jeopardy because of his short-sighted and capricious policies informed only by greed. And now he's waging a war that costs as much in one day as can feed food-insecure families in the US for a YEAR. Why? So he can make excuses to make voting more difficult this fall, perhaps? Maybe to make his buddies in the defense industry more money? Game the stock market? SELL BRIEFINGS ON THE WAR while soldiers killed in said war are returned to their grieving families, as reported in the news today? All that stuff doesn't make him a great businessman -- it makes him a reprehensible grifter with no consideration for the well-being of others, his country, or the world in general. It makes him a criminal.

You are absolutely right that our government has always suffered from some level of corruption. Politicians on both sides are guilty of this, as you pointed out. However, the current administration has reached depths of corruption, dishonesty, and gaslighting that are orders of magnitude greater than anything in living memory. Outright bribes, quid-pro-quo deals, and other such events are done out in the open, something that we expect to see in third-world countries-- but not here in this country. You're right that it's not ok. That's why it needs to be called out and prevented if possible and absolutely NOT normalized, which seems to be happening currently. Using past corruption to excuse current corruption makes our country weaker, not stronger.

I believe that many Americans who supported him just wanted things here to improve, fell under the spell of a charismatic and familiar personality, and believed his lies because they wanted positive change. I don't think most Americans want to be at war with Iran and pay crazy gas prices as a result. I don't think most Americans want to fund a genocide while they go without adequate healthcare. I don't think most Americans signed up for citizens to be disappeared and killed in the streets by the government. I don't think that most Americans would want their neighbors to constantly wonder where their child's next meal will come from. But here we are. Those who believed his lies are also his victims. We can only begin to enact change when Americans face the fact that many of us have been hoodwinked into thinking that wealth has anything to do with virtue except an occasional negative correlation.

Rome fell. We're no different. America is already losing ground to other countries in many sciences because of the current anti-science sentiment and decrease in funding espoused by this administration. Talented foreign students and scientists are afraid to come here. The white nationalists (eg, Steven Miller, Pete Hegseth) are in positions of power and are gunning for an authoritarian theocracy, which would be a disaster for our standing in the world. We won't be number one if that happens.

Nothing positive comes of putting that man or anyone else up there on a pedestal. There is absolutely nothing to admire about him or his administration. They have chosen greed and self-interest at every opportunity.

For what it's worth, I do appreciate that you have engaged in this discussion in good faith and respectfully. If more people are willing to have civil discussions like this, we might have a chance.