What Happens To A Useful Idiot Who Becomes A Useless Idiot?

Having served his Master's purpose, not wisely or particularly well--but wholeheartedly--Donald J. Trump finds, much to his surprise that his Master no longer has any use for him.

Oops.

This must be causing some concern in whatever parts of Traitor Don's brain that are still semi-functional.

All that treason for naught. #SAD.

Sure, he will sooner or later be confronted with a bevy of New York state charges. And there's a pretty good chance that he will face a few Federal charges as well.

Sure, he will probably lose everything.

Sure, his beloved (well at least one of them is beloved) older children may all go to prison, too.

But he's spent his entire adult life bullshitting in court, drawing out law suits, dissembling, lying, bribing, blackmailing, and threatening people.

And somewhere in that low wattage brain of his, he's no doubt convinced himself that he will skate once more. Because he always has before.

The thing is, though, that his Master doesn't care about any of that.

No, his Master plays a brutally straight forward game of Realpolitik. Not a lot of grey areas. Not a lot of nuance.

The question is, will his Master be content to bury him under an avalanche of the Kompromat that they've been collecting for many years?

Of course, it could be something more dramatic. More final. More in keeping with his Master's M.O.

So, my advice to Donald J. Trump is "Don't drink the tea."

Or do. No one really gives a fuck anymore.

What Fresh Hell Is This?

A sometime contributor to The Arizona Republic, Jon Gabriel, who publishes something called Ricochet, which from all appearances is just chock full of Conservative/Libertarian nonsense, recently wrote an opinion piece for the paper stating that he thinks Kamala Harris isn't cut out to be Vice President. With that sentiment in mind, perhaps we should recall some of her predecessors:

Richard Nixon was Eisenhower's veep. Enough said.

Spiro Agnew was Nixon's veep. And, quelle surprise, a convicted crook. Birds of a feather, I guess. 

 

Gerald Ford replaced Agnew and all he did was pardon Mr. I Am Not A Crook for his various crimes.

 

George H.W. Bush was neck deep in Iran-Contra while the Great Communicator and Mommy consulted their astrologist. 

 

Dan Quayle was out spelled by a child. 

 

Dick "The Dark Lord" Cheney gleefully led George "Simple W." Bush deeper into the Middle East abyss that we still haven't emerged from.

 

And Mike Pence was last seen cuddling up to the man whose followers desperately wanted to hang him not so long ago. Grovel much?

 

Quite a list, huh? All they have in common was their white maleness, their sterling Conservative Credentials, and that "R" beside their names. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Not cut out for? Don't make me laugh.

 

In Too Deep

There's an old saying attributed to Will Rogers, "if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging."

Apparently, the Republican Party never learned that lesson.

They continue to spread Trumpie the Clown's Big Lie.

They refuse to sanction an investigation into the insurrection on January 6th.

They encourage fake election "audits" in various states.

They keep lying....about everything.

These are all losing gambits.

And yet, they persist.

Why?

Because, like criminals everywhere, at some point they find themselves in too deep to stop.

For many years, the Goons on Parade party has been run like The Mob, complete with an omerta.

They've taken huge, yoog, amounts of money from various sources--including the Russian government. And people don't give you that much money and expect nothing in return, now do they?

They've undermined our alliances with our allies and encouraged our enemies.

Practically every Republican in Congress has been tainted. 

Practically every Republican in Congress is complicit.

Their crimes are so many, and so antithetical to American Democracy, that were they all exposed, the Republican Party would quite simply cease to exist.

There is no turning back from this sort of, oh, let's call it TREASON.

So, best to keep digging. Keep shoveling as much shit as they can, to try and confuse the issues. Keep bleating about "unity" and "bi-partisanship", words that to a Republican mean "keep doing what we say and no one gets hurt."

We Don't Need The Republican Party Anymore, Do We?

No.

We don't. 

There are enough moderate Democrats who do a really good impression of the now extinct moderate Republicans.

Honestly, when was the last time a Republican did anything to benefit the majority of Americans? 40 years ago? 50? 

Sure, they can wave the Bible around and wrap themselves in the flag...but actually govern? Not so much.

No. They are a fringe party now. Out in the weeds, with nothing to offer except racism, sexism, xenophobia, dead end thinking, and, of course, tax cuts for the rich.

They've spent the last 5 years cheerleading for a traitor. A traitor who is also a crook and a creep and an idiot.

A traitor whose army of zombies stormed the Capitol with blood in their eyes and murderous intent. 

A murderous intent that was aimed at a few Republicans as well as all Democrats.

And they have the nerve to claim it never happened, at least not like that. Those cretins waving Confederate flags, attacking cops, and smearing shit all over the place were "peaceful visitors" "patriots concerned for 'their' country."

Uh huh.

I mean, who are you going to believe? The Republicans or your lying eyes? 

So what happened to the Party of Law and Order? 

Washed away in a flood of Q-Anon nonsense, Russian disinformation, Libertarian twaddle, racist dog whistles, and corporate cash.

Now and forever, G.O.P. stands for Goons On Parade.

They deserve nothing but contempt.

Religion Is Where The Money Is

How can you make a lot of money?

This is an important question, because as we all know, being poor is the worst crime you can commit in America.

So pay attention, ok?

You could invent something wonderful. You could fill a tangible need, either real or imagined. You could produce something indispensable. 

Of course, all of these require inventing or building or supplying something real. 

And there is always the chance that no one will want what you're selling. For every John D. Rockefeller, Bill Gates, or Jeff Bezos, there are millions of unknown failures, with garages or warehouses full of things that nobody wants.

Religion, on the other hand, doesn't require that you produce anything real.

No expensive inventory. No years of R&D. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Just that most ephemeral of things, "FAITH".

And from some people's simple faith, you can acquire private jets, mansions, improbable haircuts, enormous bank accounts--all sorts of real things. Maybe even a pool boy to boff the wife while you watch. 

Did I mention that you can do all of this tax free?

And even though you're not supposed to mix your religion with politics, well, that's never stopped anyone from doing it. Ya know?

Of course, there is the danger that you will get soooo big that people will begin to notice your, uh, let's call them moral failings, because sins is such a weighted word. Either, of course, can be forgiven--if the money is right.

For instance, no entity on earth has a better real estate portfolio than the Catholic Church. And let's not forget the art collection and all of that gold, too. $$$$$$$$. But after 1700 years of relative impunity for its "idiosyncrasies", the one true church has come under close scrutiny for too many of its shepherds molesting their flocks. And hush money payments and legal fees do take a toll on the bottom line.

But setting that aside, there's still a lot of money to be made. Big money! Big money! Big money!

All it takes is a vague knowledge of The Bible, making sure to skip over the more problematic parts. You know, the parts where old Jesus asks you to help the poor and the lame and treat great wealth as morally suspect. I mean, where's the fun in that? Jesus had never seen a Gulfstream jet, after all. One look and he would have changed his mind about wealth.

So, put that "socialist" stuff aside, embrace a muscular, Capitalist Christ, and start gathering your own flock.

Because, as we all know, there's a sucker born every minute. And apparently a lot of them will give their last dollar to anyone with a slick spiel about salvation.

Trigger Happy, or: Just How Many "Bad Apples" Are We Willing To Tolerate?

Ho hum. Another person of color killed by the police.

Could be a man on the streets. Could be a woman in her bedroom. Could be a child in his yard.

And, after all the usual excuses are made for the police, we hear the refrain of "a few bad apples." 

"A few bad apples." Over and over again. And yet, we never seem to throw those few bad apples away, which is what any competent grocer would do.

And what about the other apples? The ones we assume are "good".

Shouldn't they be offended by the presence of the bad ones?

They should. But it seems they rarely are. The "brotherhood of the thin blue line" and all that bullshit.

If you continually look the other way as the bad apples engage in whatever mayhem they please, up to and including murder, and then make excuses for their behavior, how "good" are you really?

Perhaps we should make every cop take a lengthy psychological evaluation to see if maybe, just maybe, they're racists with a strong tendency for violence. And summarily dismiss those who are.

But the police unions would never allow that, would they?

So here we are. 

The people we pay to "protect and serve" all of us are apparently so terrified of some of us that they automatically reach for their guns under almost any circumstances.

Imagine what a person of color feels every time they see a policeman. Imagine living your entire life with that kind of feeling.

It's really very simple: If you give a "little" man (or woman) a badge and a gun, all of a sudden he's a "big" man (or woman). 

And you better listen to him (or her), you better obey him (or her)...or he (or she) may kill you.

Of course, if you're black or brown, even if you listen, even if you obey, they still might kill you...because somehow, in their mind, you're a threat.

I'm Beginning To Doubt The Value Of An Ivy League Education

Herein follows an incomplete list of Ivy League graduates that have recently served, or are currently serving, in our government:

(Some went to Harvard, some to Yale, a few to Princeton, and several went to two of the three.)

Ted Cruz, asshole Senator from Texas.

Tom Cotton, asshole Senator from Arkansas.

Ben Sasse, asshole Senator from Nebraska. 

Ron DeSantis, criminal Governor of Florida.

Mike Pompeo, Wilbur Ross, Elaine Chao, Steve Mnuchin, proud members of the "former guy's" Cabinet. All corrupt in different ways. (Der Trumpo himself went to grad school at Penn's Wharton School, where he was described by one of his professors as "the dumbest goddamn student I ever had.")

Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh, justices of the Supreme Court, and blights on the very idea of the Law.

Of course we must not ever forget Simple W, (George W. Bush) and the Dark Lord (Dick Cheney), those draft dodging war mongers who gave us the multi-trillion dollar sinkhole that is Iraq.

And, just for nostalgia's sake, J. Fife Symington, former Governor of Arizona, whom, when caught in some legal trouble, defended himself by saying, essentially, "they should have known I was lying."

I suppose it's really very simple:

If you went into the Ivy League as a complete asshole, chances are you will come out as a complete asshole, too.

Even the best schools can't fix that.