Cush, I agree.
Trump is a political Black Swan. We could fill the page with a list of his deficiencies.
And it's not just him — he's guided by Steve Bannon's deconstruction agenda, designed to destroy and reorder domestic and global politics.
His past is littered with failures and deceptions, yet somehow he's become president. His appearances, in which he meanders through an illogical string of repeated themes supported by outright lies — are weirdly fascinating. Because his audiences are entranced. Spellbound. Delirious. Sure, it's all staged: these are supporters-only events. Still, it's frightening: one can't help recalling film footage of Hitler's rapturous crowds.
We can't assume that just because Trump has many faults, he will fail. It ain't necessarily so.
The Lost City of Trump
—It was supposed to be his legacy. Today it’s a mere shadow of his dream—but he declared victory anyway. How the saga of Trump City foreshadowed the president’s chaotic path to the White House
We can see why Trump spat venom at Justin Trudeau. The reason is simple: Canada's attempt to do an end-run on Trump's destructive trade agenda -- by going directly to State and corporate representatives -- has met with some success. Trump is getting negative feedback, and he hates it. So he resorts to his traditional tactics, which include personal attacks and sneering derision. None too subtly, Trump has deployed the threat of destroying Canada's auto industry: a typical Trump tactic. Threaten. Intimidate. It may happen, but to Canada's credit our government has reacted calmly.
Trump's a locker-room bully. El Supremo fears face-to-face confrontation. He's not man enough for that, so he fires people remotely, by Twitter. Or, in meetings he'll present an agreeable front. But when he gets away to the safety of his keyboard, he does a fiery about-face, often filled with invective and lies.
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After two years Trump finally has the cabinet he wants. It's loaded with sycophants and power-mongers who'll do what Trump says. He don't want no stinking common sense, diplomats with decades of experience, or highfalutin' experts explaining the facts.
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Roughly, the time until Trump leaves office is two and one-half years. It's an open question whether the negative effects of his administration's economic "policies" will be felt by voters at that time. By then, the adverse effects of economic measures WILL be measurable -- and negative for ordinary people.
Meanwhile mid-terms are approaching. The Democratic Party is in disarray, and simple opposition to Tweety will not be enough. In my opinion, the Dems need to assimilate Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. In other words the old-style Democratic machine must rejuvenate — and I don't know if it can. The recent election of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gives hope.
In Canada there are other parallel issues, of course. The rise of populism. Regional disparities and strains, plus much more. Not to mention the global issues listed in The Vortex.
In the meantime, we've got Trump — and the problems that he's laying on our doorstep.
Jim |
