It's Tough Being a Republican

    So here we are over a week later still talking about the Stable Genius' helpful suggestions about introducing disinfectants and UV lights into humans infected with Covid-19. What's striking about this isn't the colossal and profound stupidity of the President of the United States. Anyone not wearing a MAGA hat has by now come to accept what every native New Yorker has known for decades. It's the extent to which what one might call normally reasonable people will go to make sense of and/or offer plausible explanations of the constant what-the-fuckery coming out of the White House. After all, right up until 2017 most Americans had held the office of President in, if not reverence, had at least imbued it with a certain gravitas that took seriously the office's pronouncements, whether you agreed with them or not. For anyone with any sense this all went down the crapper the with the Vendor Stiffer.

    A couple of days after Tariff Man made his now historically fucked-up suggestions, the following was shared in the Facebook news feed of a friend of mine who is a medical professional:

So as a Respiratory Therapist....I watched the clip about the "disinfectant that Trump talking about". People need to listen closely....and before I say this, I will tell you that I am not registered to vote and I don't vote. I am neutral. He is basically brain storming for an idea to help the lungs. He stated that the disinfectant kills the virus in one minute, so he proposed the question can we inject disinfectant (not Lysol), he used the word "disinfectant" ...in the lungs, but that is for the doctors to figure out. Now a lay person like Trump will say disinfectant and a medical person would say "medicine". Medicine dumped into the lungs happens all the time! I personally have dumped respiratory medicine down an Endotracheal tube directly into the lungs. When babies are born prematurely, guess what? Yes we "inject" the lungs with a medicine called surfactant that helps keep the alveoli open to oxygenate the lungs. Antibiotics are sometimes injected into infected parts of lungs through a chest tube. So what I want the general public to know, is that we do "inject" medicine into peoples lungs, that yes act like a disinfectant (antibiotics), so why is everyone in uproar over this? If you are a lay person and don't understand what he said then ask a medical person. His statement was so twisted around and misinterpreted, and this is coming from a Respiratory Therapist that has injected medicine in peoples lungs. Lysol brand has perpetrated misinformation and panicked the general public who doesn't know anything about lungs. And Trump never used the word "Lysol". So why did Lysol brand think he was talking about them, that's narcissistic on their part. Why would Lysol brand embrace that? they look ignorant. So people, yes we do inject medicine into the lungs! This is why people need to know the facts and stop panicking people.

    Where to begin? First of all, announcing you aren't registered and don't vote isn't being neutral it's telling me you don't give a shit how your country is run and it's thanks to people like you we're in this mess right now. Secondly is there anyone, again not wearing a MAGA hat who really believes the Moron-in-Chief meant "medicine" and not "disinfectant" even if he left out a brand name? It was obvious to anyone not needing to come up with excuses for this dumb-shittery he meant exactly what he said. And why did those in a position to impart actual knowledge immediately and without prompting issue statements and warnings to try preventing those inspired by the Real Estate Swindler's "brainstorming" to drink bleach? Thirdly, does any impartial observer really think this impartial observer is neutral? I don't or you wouldn't be defending the indefensible.
    Fortunately for me I left the Republican party long before it became necessary to rationalize my continued membership in a party lead by one of the most despicable cretins on the planet. The Porn Star Spankee isn't just stupid, he's malevolently so. Once upon a time it was possible to be a Republican and maintain a social conscience but not anymore. What conscience any of them have left is reserved exclusively for fetuses.
    However, the few decent people left in the GOP, some probably lifelong members, now find themselves facing the choice of supporting the Big Mac Eater-in-Chief or coming over to the dark side - voting for the party that since Vietnam they've been led to believe is anti-American. And so they grasp at straws and delude themselves into believing the alternative is worse. After all, they're all queer baby killers that hate America, aren't they? Yeah, that's it. He really was trying to help. He wasn't really suggesting spraying Lysol into your lungs. It's the media. Yeah, that's right.

        Just keep telling yourself that and it'll all be okay.

NOW, WHERE WAS I?

“No one in this world, so far as I know…has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.”

“As democracy is perfected, the [President of the United States] represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

H.L. Mencken is always the go to guy when you're looking for high sounding quotes calling people dumb-asses. He missed by 60 years living to see this second prophecy come true.

When I decided to try a blog about American politics in the age of the White House's resident imbecile and his cult my intent was just getting my thoughts down somewhere other than Facebook. At the time it was the only way I could think of to oppose the Stable Genius from where I sit outside the United States. Besides, my wife was sick of listening to me and it this seemed the best way to vent. It became apparent fairly quickly this shit-storm was going to be overwhelming and it was uncertain whether my sanity could come out the other side intact. Now I just want to keep a record of how one American feels as he watches from across the Atlantic as the country I love comes apart at the seams. 

As I write this, my wife and I are riding out the state ordered confinement against  Covid-19 pandemic at our home in southwest France. The longer this nightmare in the States goes on, the happier I am to be living outside the US. Today I read an essay in The Atlantic by George Packer, entitled "We Are Living In a Failed State."  Read it. It's depressing but if the United States is to survive it's going to take the complete defeat and total destruction of the Republican party coupled with the same for Fox News and the extreme right wing media echo chamber. Simple, right? 

When my wife and I decided to spend our retirement overseas it was always in the back of our minds we'd probably come back the States at some point. It's becoming more difficult to imagine, now. I don't see how we come back from all the damage wrought by Tariff Man and his cult. Even after he's gone (this November, I hope) it's looking increasingly likely the US might be irretrievably broken. 

That we're still talking like the Stable Genius' re-election is even a remote possibility is an indication of how far gone we are. Three and a half years of incompetence and lies yet the numbers have remained more or less stable. Three and a half years of chaos and mis-management and still almost half the country thinks the B-list celebrity from Queens is just swell. From the beginning the media's emphasis has been that the Contractor Stiffer's approval rating has been historically low and never above 50 percent. But while it's made the occasional dip in to the high 30s, it hovered consistently into the 40 to 45 percent range. And when this pandemic broke it actually took a bump upward despite the fact the White House Troll and his minons repeatedly called it a hoax or minimized the threat. 2016 revealed the American voter to be a frightening ignoramus that could no longer be trusted to do the right thing, if they ever could. And thanks to them the United States is now an oligarchy and de facto theocracy run by filthy-rich incompetents at the highest level who are nonetheless managing to systematically dismantle the federal government while packing the courts with right-wing ideologues. 

        Sometime during the run up to the 2016 election, I can recall telling my wife, "You know, on some level I almost hope he wins. Then one way or the other we'll find out what kind of a country we are." While the jury's still out, the future is not looking rosy.

Russians and The Poor Misunderstood Trump Voter

Living in France, we’re 6 hours ahead of the U. S. east coast so election night I went to bed while the polls were still open, pretty confident the next morning I wake up to the first woman President. My wife Cynthia, however, didn’t share my confidence and, unable to sleep, was up half the night keeping track of the results. Around 5 a.m. I was awakened to. “You gotta get up!That assholes gonna win and I can watch it by myself.” 

We have access to a couple of U.S. news channels here but Europeans were almost as concerned about this election as we were so finding the election results was not a problem. The winner hadn’t yet been declared but it was obvious Hillary couldn’t win and I found myself with the same feeling of dread as on September 11. From now on, nothing would be the same again and the change in America and Americans wasn’t going to be good. This time, though, instead of thousands of non-existent Muslim in Jersey City cheering the collapse of the Twin Towers, it’s millions of Americans cheering the potential collapse of American democracy.

After a month of this train wreck, dumpster fire, cluster-fuck the feeling has only gotten worse. The only news I’ve read that could be construed as a silver lining in all of this is that, with the official closing of SarahPAC, we might finally be rid once and for all of one right-wing moron.

Speaking of morons, it should be obvious by now, even to the dimmest bulb,  not only does SCROTUS not seem to have a very good brain but is in fact proving to be a complete fucking imbecile. The leaks pouring out of the White House seem to designed to expose precisely that.

There is so much shit coming in already that it’s overwhelming and I can’t even remember where I’ve read what. None of it is anything less than frightening and depressing. If there is a positive aspect, apart from the aforementioned demise of the Alaskan airhead, it’s that a shitload of non-Republicans are finally being roused out of their inattention. Unfortunately, we’re so far in a hole that it doesn’t look good anytime soon, considering that even if SCROTUS is impeached, resigns, is deposed or drops dead, the GOP still controls everything and probably will for the foreseeable future.

What I find most disturbing is that non-Rebublicans seem to be the only ones concerned with this administrations cozy relationship with the Russians. I’m glad I don’t have to talk to any right-wingers but I would like to ask all the folks who voted Republican based on national security issues why Hillary’s emails are worse than Mike Flynn’s dealings with the Russians? By the way, both Republicans in Congress who are responsible for investigating ethics and national security issues, Chaffetz and Nunes, say they have no intention of investigating Flynn.

And it just keeps getting worse. For at least the past 25 years, Republicans have been impugning the patriotism of the Democrats. In fact, I seem to recall a lot of talk about Barack Obama probably being a communist. Now we have indications of a shady relationship between the Russians and the President of the United States and all Republicans can say is, “Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.” Furthering their agenda is more important than national security. Rand Paul admitted as much.

Today in the NY Times, I read an op-ed titled “Are liberals helping Trump?” and it was one more hand wringing look at the misunderstood SCROTUS voter. Has anybody ever seen a sympathetic account of conservatives trying to understand liberals? I didn’t think so. And why is everyone opposed to SCROTUS and conservatives automatically branded as liberal. I’ve never thought of myself as being particularly liberal, although I certainly take their side. Look, these people are responsible for the man who is already certain to be the worst president in American history. They knew what he was like and voted for him anyway. Misunderstood? No shit. Fuck them.

Here Be Dragons

From now on we’re in uncharted waters. Nobody knows what’s going to happen, least of all the dipshit we swore in the other day. By the way, I’m going to do my best never to mention his name because, as me sainted Mum used to say, “That’s just what he wants.” My wife Cynthia came up with the best I’ve heard yet so henceforth in this space he who shall not be mentioned will be referred to as SCROTUS. 

Three days in, now, and while the outcome might be in question, the theme of the current administration is undoubtedly #alternative facts. Mendacity is part of SCROTUS’ DNA but I’m wondering what goes on in a person's mind when they stand up in front of the whole world  and repeat what they know to be complete bullshit. Maybe we’ll find out over the next 4 years because it’s going to happen a lot.

Which brings up another subject - Will this administration last 4 years? Probably not. Right now SCROTUS  is useful to the Republicans. He’s flying high cover and as long as everyone’s focused on whatever stupid shit he and his minions are doing/saying this time, the GOP controlled Congress, and soon to be controlled Supreme Court, can do whatever they want while flying under the radar.

For instance: Did you know that on January 3, this year, Mike D. Rogers (R-AL), introduced H.R.193, the American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2017? Neither did I. What this law, which I hope has no chance of even getting out of committee, does is to sever all U.S. ties with the United Nations and kick the whole organization out of the United States. I found out about this from a blog. A search of both the New York Times and Washington Post websites for came up negative.

So anything can happen in the next four years - anything. I wouldn’t rule out either impeachment or a coup d’etat. SCROTUS is packing his cabinet with ex-generals and military people and one in particular, Mike Flynn, is particularly fucked up.

Mostly I think one of two things is most likely - impeachment or at some point he says, “You know what? Fuck it, I quit.” And nobody will stand in the way, least of all Republicans. In fact, once they’ve gotten as much use out of SCROTUS as they think they can get, they’ll probably start the ball rolling. Then Pence and the rest of the Christian right will be free to do as they will.

You don't believe we're on the eve destruction?

     Well, here we are a day before inauguration day and by now it should be pretty evident the overall intent of the coming administration is to inflict as much damage as it can on the federal government. Almost every one of the new cabinet appointees appear to have been selected specifically for that purpose. It would be difficult to decide which was the more egregious but I'd start with Betsy DeVos. Even in a group of billionaires with no previous experience in public service of any kind, she stands out as particularly destructive.

      Republicans and their enablers have devoted much of the past 30 years turning Americans against their own government. Tomorrow the United States will officially be governed by the extreme right with the consent of millions of these mostly white Americans. The most lasting damage the Twitter troll will be responsible for, to my way of thinking, is likely to be done by this appointment and the extremists he'll name to the Supreme Court. Others might argue the for the coming trashing of the EPA.  But, again, each nominee seems chosen specifically to wreck the government and there isn't a thing Democrats can do to stop it. What worries me most is while everyone's being misdirected by, "What'd that asshole say now", his party is going to be putting the finishing touches on a theocracy.

     One other thing that the past three months should have made clear, especially if you been reading all the "I voted for Trump and here's why" or "I voted for Trump and now I'm sorry" articles, although I've only seen one of the latter - stupid white people are real easy to find.

    Tonight, I'll try to enjoy the last 24 hours of America as I knew it.



        



   

   

   

Are You Happy Now?

       I’d like to be around in about a hundred years to witness historians trying to explain how an extreme right wing government that rolled back at least 50 years of progress and initiated draconian policies it took generations to undo (I’m being optimistic here) came to power; when the election of the most unqualified man ever to run for President was influenced, at least in part, by zit-faced Macedonians who figured out how to make money producing fake news Facebook click-bait aimed at dim-witted Americans.

If you’re one of the nearly 63 million boneheads that voted for this conman, as my dear mother used to say, “Are you happy, now?” Nothing good can possibly come from this unless you’re an extreme Christian who wants a theocracy or filthy rich since those are the only ones this government is going to benefit. Of all the explanations of a vote for Trump that I read, most were either of the selfish “what’s in it for me” variety or remarkably deluded. An astonishing number thought a proven and compulsive liar was more trustworthy than Hillary, mostly based on long debunked, bogus scandals the news media helped along by constantly focusing on them. One claimed to be a undecided guy who at the last minute went for the orange face because people in the voting line said mean things about Trump supporters.  By far the most deluded and fucked-up came from Asra Q. Nomani, a Muslim woman and former Wall Street Journal reporter whose justification of a fear of jihadis was beyond ludicrous. At least her complaints of being unable to afford health insurance under Obamacare won’t be an issue for her much longer since health insurance for millions like her won’t even be possibile. Each justification was ill reasoned, narrow or petulant in its own way. 

So now we’ve got a shithead who’s proud of his own ignorance moving into the White House. And his swamp draining is going to be carried out by folks as filthy or filthier rich than he is. The one common thread so far is that most of them have no more experience or qualifications for the job they’ll be doing than he does. 

Welcome to the Rockefeller Democrat

WHAT THE FUCK I MEAN WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK WERE YOU THINKING? YOU KNEW HE WAS A FUCKING DOUCHEBAG CONMAN AND YOU VOTED FOR HIM ANYWAY! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU HAVE YOU ALL LOST  WHATEVER FUCKING MINDS YOU HAD? OKAY, IF YOU VOTED FOR THIS MOTHERFUCKER ITS ON YOU. YOU AND THE ONES WHO WERE TOO LAZY AND DIDN’T CARE ENOUGH TO EVEN GET OFF THEIR FAT ASSES AND OUT OF THEIR LAZ-Y-BOYS TO VOTE!

    There, that feels better.

    Welcome to my new blog. Probably the last thing the world needs right now is another political blog. But Americans have just elected the most profoundly unqualified and dangerously ignorant man ever to run for President. This is not just disturbing but frightening and as an expat living in France I’ve been trying to figure out what to do, now that the orange fraud named Trump is headed for the White House. This is the best I could come up with and it seemed as good a time as any to get rolling.
   
    Let me start by explaining the title.  Once I considered myself one of a political species that, like all moderate Republicans, are now extinct.  They were called Rockefeller Republicans (for reasons you can read about here) and probably could have found a home in either American party. In my case, my family had been Republicans since at least the 1880’s when one of my great-grandfather’s first official acts as a new American had been to join the party of Abraham Lincoln. More apropos to the present, today’s Democratic Party is, despite the claims of the Fox News crowd, more or less a center-right party closer to the aforementioned Rockefeller Republicans than they would care to admit (or at least it was until election day).  Hence the title of this blog.