DONALD TRUMP: THE CONSUMMATE NO-DEAL-MAKER REVISITED

Trump's House of No Deals

In July of 2018, I posted Donald Trump: The Consummate No-Deal Maker (The Consummate No-Deal Maker).  In the piece, I contrasted Trump’s reputed (mostly self-reputed) deal-making prowess with his actual accomplishments as president. During his run for president, Trump bragged that deals would be easy, clean and quick, and they would exceed all expectations. He would make, as he put it, “beautiful deals that no other president could make.”

Well, after a little more than a year in office he made no deals of any note: no deal on health care, climate change, immigration reform and DACA, gun control, spending cuts, NAFTA, China or Pacific trade. He failed to broker deals on Iran, Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan, and made no progress on his Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative. Despite much fanfare, and his bromance with North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un , Pyongyang remained steadfast in holding on to its nuclear weapons.

Now that he’s been in office nearly three years, has his alleged nonpareil deal making skills finally showed up? Let’s see.

SEPTEMBER 2019 IGNOMINIOUS ABSURDITY OF THE MONTH: THE IGGY

1. John Merrill, the current Secretary of State of Alabama. Merrill recently asserted, among other bizarre and archaic ideas, that people are “too interested in homosexual activities” and that’s why he can’t find any good television. As reported by Yellowhammer News, an Alabama-based publication, Merrill went on to clarify that by good TV, he has shows like The Virginian, Bonanza, and I Love Lucy in mind.

“That’s what we’ve allowed to happen,” he said on the loss of golden TV… and the rise of homosexuality.

Merrill, by the way, is running in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate in 2020. Yup: Doug Jones’s seat. He’s actually one of five Republicans looking to oust Jones; a list that includes former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.

But back to today’s story.

The answer came about because Merrill was participating in a town hall in Dekalb County over the weekend. One audience member asked Merrill about cultural shifts, and how our country’s principles have “eroded.” While a question that’s probably clearly coded for this sort of response, Merrill’s doesn’t shy away from hate.

“We’re too interested in homosexual activities,” he replied. “We’re too interested in seeing how this family’s finding a way to mess on this family or to see how people are trying to date on TVor having wife-swapping on TV. That’s what we watch. When we push back against that, and we quit allowing it to be in our homes – that’s how those changes have occurred because we’ve allowed them to slowly but surely come into our lives.”

“I meant what I said,” Merrill said in response to AL.com, where he had the generous opportunity to clarify his obviously offensive words. “People are too interested in anything that is not uplifting, edifying. They’re too busy being preoccupied with homosexual activities and the wife swap shows.”

Merrill lamented he can no longer find shows “that are based on biblical foundations. … shows that promote family and culture with a father, a mother, and children based on biblical teachings and biblical principles on which our nation was founded." Yikes.

He also doubled down on his point in an interview with NBC News, when he criticized coverage of the U.S. Women’s soccer national Team. “The national narrative began to be one of divisiveness,” he claimed to NBC, “and if you can’t support these young ladies because they’re gay and because they want to wear the LGBT flag on their uniform, as opposed to just appreciating the great talent that they have, and the unbelievable athletic accomplishments that they produce, that's a problem.”

The problem is (actually) homophobia. Maybe for some wholesome TV, he can check out the gay rat wedding on Arthur that the public broadcast channel in his state refused to play? It’s a kid’s TV show, after all.

AUGUST 2019 IGNOMINIOUS ABSURDITY OF THE MONTH: THE IGGY

1. Jeffrey E. Epstein. Epstein, the wealthy financier who is accused of sex trafficking, and child molesting had an unusual dream: He hoped to seed the human race with his DNA by impregnating women at his vast New Mexico ranch where he could maintain a vast stable of women for the sole task of impregnation—by himself.

Mr. Epstein’s vision reflected his longstanding fascination with what has become known as transhumanism: the science of improving the human population through technologies like genetic engineering and artificial intelligence. Critics have likened transhumanism to a modern-day version of eugenics, the discredited field of improving the human race through controlled breeding.

That’s something you can kind of envision the leaders of the Third Reich contemplating in their Berlin bunker at the close of World War II, just before the Soviet tanks overran them. It appears to stem from some egomaniacal notion that because they’ve managed, whether by fortune, skill, conquest, or just plain dumb luck to attain a hugely disparate share of power over others, well, there must be something special about themselves that separates them from the rest of the human race .

In the case of Epstein, a billionaire who quite literally had the world at his beck and call, it apparently took the form of  trying to achieve some type of "immorality." This strain of gross egotism isn’t all that uncommon among the billionaire set. Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel are some examples of those who’ve succumbed to this burning desire to bless the world with their perpetual existence, devoting large chunks of their fortunes to quixotic “life extension” projects.

But even among such rarefied company, Epstein still sounds like a character straight out of Blade Runner:

Beyond his fixation with “transhumanism” and buried deep in that New York Times article, another interesting tidbit about Epstein was brought out.  As spotted by Marie Lodi, writing for New York Magazine:

If that wasn’t shocking enough, another detail that stood out was Epstein’s supposed interest in cryonic preservation, a pseudoscientific process in which the human body or head is frozen and stored with the hope that it could be successfully revived in the future, à la Encino Man. According to sources who spoke to the Times, Epstein “wanted his head and penis to be frozen.”

While he presumably wanted to have his head frozen to protect his brain, it’s not clear what benefit Epstein desired to bestow on future generations with his frozen penis. Nor was the method and storage of preserving this appendage fully fleshed out. As the penis itself serves as a mere vehicle for reproduction, the natural question arises as to whether Epstein meant for his testicles to be preserved as well. Or whether he intended his penis to maintain some sort of functionality down through the centuries, in some type of animatronic-like state.

Further complicating the situation, Epstein made no known arrangements for the penis’ presentation or the manner in which the public might view it.  So, whether it was meant to be seen by private invitation or by the broader public remains a mystery (perhaps he envisioned lines forming around the block at the Met in New York, for example, for such an exhibit). The sad likelihood is that, with Epstein’s suicide we will never get a straight answer to these questions.

I have no evidence, but I suspect that Donald Trump has sacked away some of his sperm for future breeding purposes. How better to extend his white nationalist legacy? And, would you put it past the Trumpster to have his head and penis frozen as well? (To be sure, after he has had them cast in bronze and put on display in the Capitol Rotunda.)

But when all is said and done, Epstein and Trump shouldn’t be worried. Enough evidence has already been developed about their character and behavior that few will conclude that they were anything less than colossal pricks. And no one needs to see their penises for that.

JULY 2019 IGNOMINIOUS ABSURDITY OF THE MONTH: THE IGGY

1.  Montana GOP Representative Greg Gianforte.  Gianforte announced this month that he was giving up his seat in the House to run for governor of Montana against Democratic incumbent Steve Bullock (I’m going out on a limb in assuming Bullock won’t become President). Yes, this is the same Gianforte that back in 2015 in a speech to the Montana Bible College poo pooed the concept of retirement by invoking Noah—yea, the Noah. The Huffington Post captured a transcript:

"There's nothing in the Bible that talks about retirement. And yet it's been an accepted concept in our culture today. Nowhere does it say, 'Well, he was a good and faithful servant, so he went to the beach.' It doesn't say that anywhere…. "The example I think of is Noah. How old was Noah when he built the ark? 600. He wasn't like, cashing Social Security checks, he wasn't hanging out, he was working. So, I think we have an obligation to work. The role we have in work may change over time, but the concept of retirement is not biblical."

Just think, if Gianforte wins the governorship, he could rule for the next 550 years! Let’s hope, though, that Montana voters supersede the Bible and retire the moronic bible pumper before he sets foot in the governor mansion.  No disrespect for Noah intended.

TRUMP’S INHUMANITY AND IGNORANCE ON CLEAR DISPLAY

I know, I promised to refrain from posting anything about Donald Trump.  After all, what can be said that hasn't already about the lying, malignant narcissist?  Besides, the last thing he needs is more attention. The following commentary by NY Times columnist Roger Cohen, however, has moved me to make an exception.  In a few short, revealing words, Cohen paints a  spot-on picture  of Trump the man. It got my blood boiling.

Several less than perfect persons have occupied the White House.  Ours is an imperfect system; a few bad apples are inevitable.  But I will venture to say that the American presidency has never been so dishonored as it has been by Donald Trump.  It's not just that the self-absorbed dirtbag is an embarrassment to everything America is supposed to stand for, after all we've been led by a number of presidents who have strayed from our ideals, but it's hard to reach back in history and find a president whose deceit and downright evilness has caused so much damage to our values, our democracy, and to so much of humanity, at home and abroad. We've endured evildoer presidents in the past (Nixon comes to mind), and have managed to transcend the damage, but I'm sorry to say I'm not sure we will ever recover from the Trump presidency, especially if he wins  reelection, which is shockingly possible, if not likely.

I know Americans are a resilient people, we've overcome many hardships and adversities, and risen to  great challenges.  I'm encouraged by the empowerment of women, young people, and progressive energies alive at the grassroots, but I'm not sure this will be enough to overcome the Trump effect.  (Apologies for my cynicism; I hope you have not become similarly afflicted.)  Donald Trump is a product of a white nationalist, fact-adverse populism that has been brewing for decades.  It is now deeply entrenched in our political institutions and a large segment of our national culture.  This means progressive-thinking people need to overcome not just the man, but the roots that produced, and continue to sustain, his ignominious rule, a Herculean task, indeed.

If you value humanity, I trust the following Cohen commentary will summon raw emotions similar to mine.  If you're a Trump supporter, or one of his shameless Republican congressional lapdogs, I suspect you'll see nothing wrong with the president's frank indifference to Nadia Murad's story-- or, for that matter, to his general lack of empathy for human suffering.  Hell, you might even celebrate it.  Such is as it is in the Trump's world. 

I hope the Cohen post inspires a dialogue, and hopefully a personal response.

Ronald T. Fox

JUNE 2019 IGNOMINIOUS ABSURDITY OF THE MONTH: THE IGGY

1. Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Fellow Military Hawks. Senator Cruz joined the hawk bandwagon in calling for the creation of a Space Force, except Cruz one-upped them all in offering an ignominious line of reasoning. To get the full effect of the Cruz absurdity, you need to experience it with the full pomposity with which Republican he brought this dire warning to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“Since the ancient Greeks first put to sea,” said Cruz, “nations have recognized the necessity of naval forces and maintaining a superior capability to protect waterborne travel and commerce from bad actors. Pirates threaten the open seas, and the same is possible in space.”

No. No, it is not possible. Poor Somalis, living in chaos and an economic system that runs on bullets, may board rubber dinghies to assault tankers off their coast. No one, no one, is or will be cobbling together a backyard rocket to buckle their swash in space.

Cruz went on: “In this same way,” he said, “I believe we too must now recognize the necessity of a Space Force to defend the nation and to protect space commerce and civil space exploration.”

At other points in Cruz’s complete speech, he discusses how a Space Force may be needed to protect America in “asteroid mining in which a small asteroid could contain rare materials such as platinum worth billions.” Which seems to overlook a few things.

First, we’re not doing any asteroid mining. We’re not going to be doing any asteroid mining for decades, at best. Second, anyone with the technology to be a pirate against asteroid miners could just mine their own asteroid. Third, the material from asteroids only has value if there is somewhere to sell it; you can’t, shockingly, smuggle an asteroid back to Earth for easy sale at the local bodega.

But hey, screw facts. Ted Cruz is on the floor of the Senate, demanding billions to fight space pirates. That is where we are.

Not only is a Space Force an unneeded boondoggle, it promises to bring consequences that will prove costly to our national and domestic security. It will add fuel to interservice rivalries, bloat the defense budget, impose mind-boggling bureaucratic hurdles, undermine the capacity of our military forces to operate with any sense of coordination, and compromise domestic spending priorities which will bear the burden of expanded defense spending. Been there done that. Think back when the Air Force split off from the Army Air Corp after World War II. How did that work out? Each service developed their own priorities, which don’t always square well with combat effectiveness. Think of the low priority the Air Force attaches to close ground support for our troops—not something they relish, as our troops, as well as advocates for the highly effective A-10 Warthog, have sadly learned.

But wait, another independent service will mean more defense spending, which should make the military-industrial complex salivate. Therein lies the crux.

Cruz points out that nations such as China have developed satellite-killing technology, but those are essentially missiles launched from the Earth. We have them as well. It’s not clear how any “space force” would help with this situation in any way. You can’t sneak up on someone in space. You can’t dash out from the nearest shoreline, make a quick hit, and return.

There are no space pirates. Unfortunately, there is a Ted Cruz.

MAY 2019 IGNOMINIOUS ABSURDITY OF THE MONTH: THE IGGY

The forced-birthers are picking up steam. With God on their side, how can they lose? Here’s a couple samplings:

1. Michigan State Senator Kim LaSata. Everyone knows that God hates women who get abortions. In fact, one of the earliest books in the Hebrew Bible—Numbers—has a “pleasant” story about God’s priests giving women a special “potion” that would induce an abortion. According to the Bible, it was a punishment for adultery. So, abortion is OK if God wants it done to punish women.

Michigan state Sen. LaSata doesn’t read those kinds of bibles. She reads her own special bible and has big thoughts and feelings about what God wants. She and other forced-birther zealots in the Michigan state legislature have been trying to get their own abortion ban through.

With Alabama’s decision to outlaw abortions in virtually all cases, forced-birther types like Sen. LaSata want everyone to know that they are overjoyed by their victory in protecting the “sanctity of life.” The Detroit Free Press explains that during examination of medical experts, LaSata became angry after testimony that by banning standard second-trimester procedures for abortion, the Michigan legislature would be putting women into painful and dangerous scenarios. Sen. LaSata’s response was the kind of Jesus-empathizing you might expect from a good Christian like herself:

“Of course, it should be hard! And the procedure should be painful! And you should allow God to take over!! And you should deliver that baby!"

LaSata has talked about her own personal abortion story, where she attempted to get an abortion, it didn’t work, and she ended up giving birth to a stillborn baby. She called the experience an intervention by God, forcing her to go through with what must have been a truly emotional and physically brutal experience.

It seems that what LaSata wants is for other women to experience, regardless of the situation, the trauma she experienced. In her mind, based on her words, she thinks that God did that to her so other women should get to experience God’s work in the same way. Bring on the pain.