POLITICS - What is it this week that Donald Trump has chosen as our topic of discussion?
More ranty political discussion and insight
Greetings. as most of you know, this column was originally intended to be a politics free source of information and discussion on Asian history and the study of history and historiography. It was intended as a politics free “No-Trump Zone.” And then, and then, the world went crazy a few months ago, and now each week I write a political column. (Creating a second column and dividing them in two is surprisingly complicated as a mistake was made in setting up the first column. Just so you know.)
Last week I attended a July Fourth parade and a bunch of pudgy looking Republican women 1 with a Trump flag had built a float that played what they ignorantly considered to be patriotic songs. Therefore, my original concept for this weeks’s column was to discuss the REAL significance and meaning of Bruce Springstein’s classic song “Born in the USA” and, while I was at it, what happened at the Battle of Khe Sanh during the Vietnam War and why it hints at the bigger question of why we lost the entire war. (The character in the song at one point sings about how he lost a brother at Khe Sanh and indicates that he really doesn’t understand why this happened or what was gained, among other very non-patriotic things.) It’s a rather negative portrayal of life in the USA but I encourage one to seek it out and read the lyrics. In fact, I asked one of those pudgy looking Republican MAGA women if she knew the words to the song her float was playing and she said, “Yes, I do. I have been singing it every day.” Which kind of left me speechless and people who know me will tell you that can be tough to do. I was also going to include some stories about the time I worked security at a huge Bruce Springstein concert back in the day. I’ve also been to the Khe Sanh battlefield and could write about that too. But, no, President Donald J. Trump chose a different topic for me this week. 2
Or I was considering writing a bit about the stupid, non-controversy over how the leading NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani described himself as “African-American” (and “South Asian”) simply because he was, imagine this, born in Uganda in Africa and lived there until he was eight years old. Not only that but his father, also of South Asian Indian descent and ethnicity,, was born in Uganda too.3 and why if you know anything about global history, it makes sense that Indians went and lived everywhere the British ever did including their former colony of Uganda, 4
However, our glorious leader of the current regime, decided that was not the topic that people wished to hear about this week. No it was not the topic at all.
As the world is bouncing along so fast and so furious, this column tends to be pretty random in its focus. While we all kind of watch the destruction of not just our social safety net and the US Constitution but also the rule of law and the loss of American soft power and respect around the globe, things happen and before one can adjust something else happens. And who is it that controls the narrative and chooses the topic of discussion in the news cycle while all this is going on? Why it’s Donald J. Trump of course.
Which reminds me, Why were there no politicians marching in this year’s Fourth of July Parade? Every year congressman Paul Tonko walks down the street and smiles and waves and we all wave back and it’s very nice. 5 Then along comes Jim Tedisco, the local Republican pathological liar state representative, and he walks by and the people I know mutter a bit and when he passes I yelled “Get a job!” and then he turns around and tries to figure out who it was and I look intently at something to the right and up in a tree leaving him confused and angry. And that was always very nice too. I used to write a lot of mean spirited but socially beneficial columns about Jim Tedisco on the op-ed pages of the Gazette in Schenectady. But not this year. None of them were there, it seems.
Why Donald Trump is an amazing man with “mad skills” and why he and no one else is President of the US right now.
Quick, what is everyone talking about this week? Quick, quick, quick, name it.
Here’s some hints. First, it’s not the attack on Iran. A nation in Asia. Remember that adage “never get involved in a land ware in Asia”? Or it’s a bad idea to get in a war with a nation that has the potential to get nuclear weapons sometime in the next decade or two? Or the bizarre press conferences where Trump and Hegseth, both pathological liars with a history of assaults on women and known for lack of understanding about what’s going on around them, lied blatantly about what had happened and bullied their underlings to do so as well. Or how Tulsi Gabbard (very strange woman with really weird ties to a Hare Krishna splinter sect, Scientology, former KGB agents, war criminals, and the Kremlin) advised him that the attack was unnecessary.
No. No one is talking about that. That was last week! Nobody but nobody is talking about that anymore.
And, no, no one is talking about his birthday parade or the fact that this was marked by the largest protest in the history of the USA with five million Americans going out and protesting the sitting president.
No. No one is talking about that. That was the week before last week! Nobody but nobody is talking about that anymore.
And the whole sending American troops into Los Angeles to put down protesters and talking about removing and arresting the mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of California from office. Forgotten too. Old news. Old news. It has been at least two weeks.
Donald Trump has decided for all of us that our topic of discussion for this week should be “the big beautiful bill” and if you get tired of that take a look at the big white tents at the concentration camp he cleverly (and, yes, it is a clever name. Marketing is his thing) called “Alligator Alcatraz.” And his fans are buying t-shirts. Everything else is old news. These are the topics he has chosen for us this week.
And when Donald Trump decides something should be our national topic of discussion, instead of following along blindly and making it your topic of discussion automatically, ask yourself HOW did he gain the ability to choose OUR topics of discussion? Don’t just ask why or if the events are important, spend a little bit of time and ask “HOW DID AN AGING REALITY TV STAR WITH A HISTORY OF BANKRUPTCY MANAGE TO CHOOSE THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AT MY DINNER TABLE AND AMONG MY FRIENDS & ACQUAINTANCES?”
When you can answer that, my friends and readers, then you will know why and how Donald J Trump became our president.
A quick tutorial on how Donald J Trump is able to choose the topic of conversation at YOUR dinner table, or local bar, or favorite internet, social media forum . . .
A quick tutorial on how Donald J Trump is able to choose the topic of conversation at YOUR dinner table, or local bar, or favorite internet, social media forum . . .
Trump and his relationship with the Republican Party -how much is political blackmail, stochastic terrorism, threat of needless primaries and other aggressive means of coercion, control, and bullying into submission?
So, since our glorious leader has chosen that we will all discuss “the Big Beautiful Bill,” the one that people say is so harmful to the country, the one that cuts many medical and social service benefits, and then increases the national debt by giving giant tax cuts to billionaires, let’s just ask ourselves two questions.
First, is it as bad as people say? Oh, probably. Lots of people will die and before they do they will run around hungry, sick, mentally ill, and with untreated addictions causing a lot of trouble for the rest of us. And hospitals and other agencies will close as well. So yeah, it’s probably as bad as they say. That’s the first question answered. Second question?
SECOND, if this bill is so bad, then why did so many once patriotic, once respectable Republican politicians vote for it?
Should we think about . . .
Trump and his relationship with the Republican Party -how much is political blackmail, stochastic terrorism, threat of needless primaries and other aggressive means of coercion, control, and bullying into submission?
And if you don’t know the concept of Stochastic Terrorism, you don’t understand our President and why so many people fear him. It’s not his only trick, but it’s a favorite of his.
Getting heavy. One of the new phrases we should all learn for the early 21st Century is "stochastic terrorism." This is when one says repeatedly or encourages social media platforms to carry messages that say "Those dirty X people are a problem. Someone should do something about them." OR "That dirty X guy (or gal) is a problem. Someone should do something about him (or her). It’d be terrible if people found out he (or she) lived at 555 1st street in Anytown USA, wouldn’t it?" Say this loud enough and often enough in the right places, something like this is inevitably going to happen.
Trump uses this tactic repeatedly to motivate his followers and intimidate his critics and enemies. Trump knows exactly what he is doing when this happens. Trump has a few simple tactics that he uses regularly to great effect.
I write about it in my book on Trump available on Amazon but you can research "stochastic terrorism" many places. It is a factor in the wave of school shootings and such as well.
This came from Nairobi Kenya and I thought it was pretty good. I assume the reference to people coaxing terrorists and active shooters by sending Korans and chocolate is a local aspect, although I do think in the USA some school shooters and such are egged on by Russian and Iranian troll farms who encourage them to livestteam and publicize their acts of terror and give the unbalanced lots of attention and encouragement to commit mass murder. Same idea, make them feel special, Get them to kill for your benefit.
Special Bonus Psychoanalytical Insight into Trump’s Psyche and Motivations
Greetings. I stumbled across this and just thought the main idea was too darn interesting not to share. The idea of this video is that two mental health professionals discuss Donald J Trump and his possible motivations and the clinical significance of his various behaviors.
Now here’s one key idea in it. I’ve been wondering for a while if Donald Trump is purposely trying to hurt regular American people. I mean, he’s obviously eager to hurt immigrants, Democrats, and others but what about those he considers “regular people”? It does seem he is hurting them in several ways.
Donald J Trump has behaviors and traits consistent with a narcissistic, predatory sociopath. Narcissistic, predatory sociopaths like to hurt and humiliate people. This is, of course, consistent with the behaviors of Donald J Trump. However, not only do they like to hurt and humiliate people, but they take special joy in betraying then hurting and humiliating people who trusted them and thought they were their friend. Now who trusts Donald Trump and considers him their friend? Rural red state, uneducated MAGA voters. Now who uses Medicaid and Food Stamps at a disproportionate rate? Rural red state, uneducated MAGA voters! Now who is going to get hurt the most by the Medicaid and Food Stamp cuts and hospital and medical care closures from the Big Beautiful Bill? Rural red state, uneducated MAGA voters!! Now isn’t that going to make the narcissistic sociopath who caused all those cuts squeal with orgasmic delight at all the people he hurt?
I am not saying it’s true, but I will say it’s a very interesting idea that fits all the facts. It’s not provably false, and therefore believable and worth considering.
For further reading, this week I am adding Heather Cox Richardson, most of you know her. If you don’t, please check her out. —— Heather Cox Richardson - Letters from an American
Further Reading
Consider following Wired Magazine
Consider following the Legal Eagle YouTube Channel
Just Security - Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
As always, thanks for spending time reading my sub-stack. Please tell your friends and consider purchasing a paid subscription.
And please consider purchasing my book on Trump. We are living in a very strange period of history, and it is important to understand it.
https://www.amazon.com/Scams-Great-Beyond-Presidential-Paranormal/dp/B08JVPHMD1/
Footnotes …………………………………….
Sometimes I think there are two kinds of MAGA women. The pudgy and overweight ones, and the ones with extensive plastic surgery.
See:
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Congressman Paul Tonko is a pretty smart guy but I am really anxious to know if he has yet learned who Curtis Yarvin is and how he is influencing all these oh so destructive, dictator loving tech oligarchs and their protoge JD Vance.