"The River of Blood" and where will it flow?

More than 700,000 soldiers gave their lives during the Civil War. And along a tree-cleared stretch of Potomac riverfront, on the 14th hole of Trump National Golf Course in Sterling, Virginia, this plaque bears testimony to the grim, deadly occurrence there - that never happened.

Nope. None of that battle stuff transpired there. While utterly lacking in Civil War history fact-dom, it does bear further evidence that Mr. Trump has always had a colorful, adversarial relationship with Truth.  He may as well have put up a plaque entitled "The River of Bullshit" and it would be an accurate metaphor for his leadership style.

When confronted about the plaque's absence of reality, then-Private Citizen Trump invoked what we at the Daily Kibitz have identified as The Trump Truth Axiom: Whenever Trump speaks, he believes what he says is true... or it should be true.

“That was a prime site for river crossings,” Mr. Trump said. “So, if people are crossing the river, and you happen to be in a civil war, I would say that people were shot — a lot of them.” But no one died in that crossing, historians said, or in any other notable Civil War engagement on the spot. “How would they know that?” Mr. Trump asked when told that local historians had called his plaque a fiction. “Were they there?” 

Ah, now that's our President! When backed into a Truth Corner, he lashes out in the manner of a schoolyard bully. "Were they there?" He was probably thinking, "You think you know everything? How come you're not rich like me? Your mama is fat and your so-called dad is a great big loser..."

Facts that are not spoken by him are Fake. It's why he declares that news reporters simply fabricate entire stories about him and his administration. Their facts didn't come directly from him, therefore, they are false. It plays into the whole "How To Build An Autocracy" playbook (and by the way, please read that linked article from The Atlantic. If you're not already spooked by what's happening, you will be after finishing it and seeing what's happening today). Here's another view of the same notion by the author of "On Tyranny":

Interestingly, on The River of Blood plaque, there is a Trump family emblem. It has quite a history, one that also speaks deeply regarding the character of Our President. Too bad, Davies family, it's mine now. Don't like it? Sue me.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/28/business/trump-coat-of-arms.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

Trump removed "Integrity" from the Davies emblem and added his own name.

Adding to the surreal nature of our Trumped Up Existence, there is the North Korean-quality of sychophantry that's being displayed at the White House. Things are not only great, they are the best ever!

“It truly was an extraordinary week for America and our people,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday afternoon as he kicked off a gushing recap to reporters that lasted roughly nine minutes and featured the word “historic” a half-dozen times.

Spicer channeled his boss as he declared that Trump’s speech to leaders of more than 50 Arab and Muslim nations “was a historic turning point that people will be talking about for years to come” and “was met with nearly universal praise.” He claimed that the president single-handedly “united the civilized world in the fight against terrorism and extremism” and that his meetings at the Group of Seven summit in Sicily “were marked by outstanding success.”

And this:

“We’ve never seen before at this point in a presidency such sweeping reassurance of American interests and the inauguration of a foreign policy strategy designed to bring back the world from growing dangers and perpetual disasters brought on by years of failed leadership,” Spicer said.


And this, from WH aide Hope Hicks:

President Trump has a magnetic personality and exudes positive energy, which is infectious to those around him. He has an unparalleled ability to communicate with people. . . . He is brilliant with a great sense of humor.

Huh. This type of "Dear Leader" rhetoric is usually found in the work of propagandists polishing some dictator's apple. Between this and the "River of Bullshit" that now forcefully flows through the rapids of our lives like an enormous firehose that can't be turned off, things can become somewhat dispiriting.

The KGB had much success by following this basic approach in managing its citizens: Continually confuse and overwhelm them with disinformation to the point where any resistance becomes too distracted and fatigued.  Our Executive and Legislative Branches are following this Kremlin propaganda playbook.

Ugh. Well, on the other hand, it's the weekend! So let's kick it off by having a good laugh. Check out the Angry Trump Pedestrian:

A Walking Metaphor

Oh, ho ho. And now, to celebrate the first weekend of summer, let's expand our minds a bit and groove out to this Pop-Soul chestnut, "Tighter, Tighter" by Alive and Kicking,  from 1970. Even if you don't recognize it, you'll like it. You might even like the goofy psychedelic images that accompany the video: