This summer has been so crazed! It's a time that is setting us up to decide if we as a nation proceed as a damaged-but-restorable democratic republic, or continue our amazing degradation into a banana republic without appeal.
It's doubly-rough because we are experiencing the most vulnerable moment for our country since a) the Revolution, b) the Civil War, or c) The Great Depression/World War II. And it's pretty dang easy to become nearly-drowned by the constant fire-hosing of propaganda that spews forth 24/7 from the GOP/Trump/State Media complex. It's all designed to create disillusionment and apathy, so remember to just keep swimming!
It seems like we receive a daily pile of poo off-loaded onto our collective front yard by the great karmic dump truck. If God is a Trickster, then 2020 is explainable. If we exist in an amoral state of random chaos, this year may be explainable, too. But as bad as it has been, and it will get worse, most of it falls under the category, "Wow, that is some kind of stupid!!"
Submitted for your approval, here are twelve recent items which create responses like the twelve expressions evinced above by journalist Jonathan Swan while he gamely interviewed President Whatsisname. Any one of these items are dopey, dumb, weird and yet are kinda remarkable! Add 'em up and you get life in 2020!
1) The Jonathan Swan Interview With Trump. Sure, you've heard about it, and maybe you read some of the juicy quotes. What's great is how Trump can't conduct himself with a journalist who doesn't give a damn about whether he'll get "access" to White House sources ever again. I swear I heard T say "Wha-wa-whoa-wa-wha!" a couple of times. For a hugely entertaining five minute read, here is the Wonkette's analysis of this terrific moment: https://www.wonkette.com/trumps-axios-interview-was-pretty-f-ckin-deranged-yeah And, as always, read through some of the comments at the end!!
2) Kanye West For President. Admit it, when you first heard this, you thought it was about the release of a new album. Then, you thought that his savvy wife and her family saw the grift being generated by Trump & Co. and decided to get a slice. Those may be true. But it's really about the GOP trying to peel away some young and Black votes from Democrats. Here is the article about the GOP operatives behind Kanye's ballot struggles: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/republican-operatives-tied-trump-camp-working-kanye-west/story?id=72200390 Kanye or Trump - Vote Mental Illness in 2020!
3) Trump Wants To Be On Mt. Rushmore. Yeah, you right. What the hell? Oh, why not? He's floated the idea in the past and his staff recently asked South Dakota Governor Noem about it (as if she, a state governor, could order this up for a Federal Monument). For more, here's more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/10/trump-likes-idea-adding-his-face-mt-rushmore-possible/3333312001/
4) Make-up!! Trump's physical appearance has always engendered snark, from his ridiculous enhanced ducktail to his girdled girth to his Frankenstein-like standing posture. But this year his makeup, always a thing since his Reality TV days, has become more pronounced and preposterous. He's gotta insist on applying his bronzed orange foundation himself, because anyone else would be fired. And that mask-line along his ear and hair is... something. Here are two examples: Everyday bad makeup and A different kind of mask. And when he adds a "glistener" it becomes like an ancient Greek bronze mask. What would Freud and Jung say? Would his sculpted mug on Mt. Rushmore be spray-painted orange?
5) FORE!! Trump likes to golf. A lot. And does so regularly on his own golf courses, at our expense, which requires a whole bunch of Federal tax dollars directed into his properties (over $105 million). Thus far, he's golfed about twice as much as Obama and about a putt's difference from Eisenhower's average. It appears he really enjoys playing during these days of pandemic and economic calamity and Senate-stalled legislation for relief to millions. Plus, he rampantly cheats like the blatant thief he has always been: https://golf.com/lifestyle/celebrities/how-why-president-trump-cheats-golf-playing-tiger-woods/
6) Those Late Afternoon Pressers. What were supposed to be daily progress updates on the nation's battle against the coronavirus immediately transformed into Trump Campaign Rallies, minus the adoring crowds of cretins. It worked for a while, getting him free campaign footage on all news programs each evening. But then he said too many stupid things (inject bleach, etc), and it went away. Now it's back, and so is His Stupidness. Yesterday, he suggested that the "1917 pandemic" ended World War II because so many soldiers became sick. (The pandemic lasted from 1918-1919 and did not end World War II. It didn't even end World War I.)
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| Some people are really using this fake form! |
8) "Thank You, Sir..." After analyzing over 20,000 lies by the President, fact-checker Daniel Dale (and others) know when he's telling a whopper. One of his "tells" is using "Sir" in his anecdotes. Especially if it involves large, macho men openly weeping in his presence, thanking him for (fill in the blank). It's always made-up. This week's "Sir" moment came here (oh, and check out his Bronze Mask): "Thank you, sir, for giving us water for sinks."
9) Bill Barr and Mark Levin. Our hyper-religious, autocratic Attorney General/political operative took a load off to chat with the far-right media nut-job. They exchanged glowing thoughts about each other, spoke on how well things are going generally, and then... Barr called Black Lives Matter supporters "Bolsheviks" and "violent Antifas," liberals as intent on "tearing down the system," protestors as Fascists, and Democrats as trying to wrench away power because "it's their secular religion." Such a refined and reasoned conversation! He even said that T is an "excellent executive" making "well-vetted" decisions by "very high-caliber individuals." He goes on about T's work habits, "I've never seen such energy. He's always working." Wow.
10) Ted Cruz Tweet About People Needing Federal Relief. Millions of people who are unemployed, or underemployed, because of COVID are dependent on receiving subsidies from the Federal Government. The GOP says that providing such monthly stipends means dis-incentivizing the will to work. So they fail to work out a bill with the Democrats. Probable result - an imminent crash of evictions, homelessness, crime... and maybe more people protesting because it's their secular religion.
Senator Ted Cruz tweeted a particularly loathsome sentiment, which attracted appropriate pushback:
Ed Markey lights into Ted Cruz.
11) 38% Will Vote For Him, No Matter What. There is a near-complete Venn Diagram overlap of people who won't wear masks, and people who will vote for Trumplethinskin, no matter what. He could shoot their spouse or children or mother on Fifth Avenue, and it just wouldn't matter. It's an American pathology, although we've seen comparable phenomena elsewhere throughout history. Even if they see the truth, some people will never admit to being wrong.
12) An amazing, wicked and wonderful synopsis of this summer. This George Conway opinion piece delivers a far more ranging yet succinct summary of all the madness that's happened (and is happening) than I ever could. Plus, it's funny!! Please give it a read, you won't regret it.
And that's our round-up of plotz-worthy moments from the last several days! There were some others that didn't make the cut, like Zombie Cicadas and the Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate who was bitten by a possibly rabid bat. But there's always another post along the way....
Stay safe, sane and sanitized!
