The Emperor is Naked and Afraid

We have to find some common ground in this deeply divided world in which we now live. Did you support Donald Trump? Liberals think you’re a moron. Are you against him? Conservatives think you’re stupid. Politics didn’t used to be so overtly black and white. You’re either fer us or agin us and there’s no compromise, no in-between. 

We’ve learned some fascinating things about our North American society through the lordship of Sir Orange Head of New York. First, that a large number of people don’t think for themselves. Critical thinkers are breathing rare air – and on this point I’m not taking sides.

There’s a whole segment of society that now thinks any news story they don’t agree with is fake news, just because Trump says it’s so. Media might never recover from this ridiculous falsehood. Fake news exists. But a negative story about the President isn’t necessarily fake. Just because Trump says it, some people believe it.

On the other side we have those who believe anything negative said about him is true, and they spread it around liberally (pun intended) via social media. It’s hard to blame them, really, because so much of the ridiculous stink coming from the White House is factual, who can tell where the line is anymore? And, as we know, much of it comes from the man himself via social media which he now claims is “modern presidential” behavior. His attack on Mika from Morning Joe was pure bullying. He needs to “defend himself”? T

I work very hard at listening to and respecting those who staunchly support President Tangerine, but I cannot respect anyone who doesn’t admit that his behavior is juvenile and unpresidential. It just is. You can believe a guy is doing an amazing job and still acknowledge that he’s a loose cannon with tiny, itchy trigger fingers on a keyboard. Not doing so would be like only talking about OJ Simpson’s football record without admitting that he (very likely) killed two people. No one’s perfect!

In a commencement speech in May, Trump told graduates from the US Naval Academy that “no politician in history has been treated worse or more unfairly” than him. Assassinated US Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy rolled over in their graves. Ronald Reagan’s chest bullet-wound said otherwise. Nelson Mandela was jailed for 27 years and whined less than Trump does. Various leaders in history from around the world were beaten, tortured, burned alive – you get the idea.

I started a pool with some media colleagues about Trump’s White House exit date. Not from impeachment, but exasperation. My guess is that he’s going to one day say, screw this! I’m a billionaire. Come on Melania, let’s go back to Trump Tower where we can look down on the little people. Most guesses in the pool so far are dates before the end of this year. He seems awfully close to implosion lately, but it might just be wishful thinking among people who hope that the strangest modern era of US politics will come to a close that soon.