Blogging amidst this madness.

I'll be honest; I can't keep up.

If the goal of the Trump regime is to confuse and fatigue spectators into silence then it may well be working. At least on me.

I'm learning so much about our political system each day, which is nice, but the lesson I keep learning is that the president can pretty much do whatever the fuck he wants. I bet Obama is kicking himself for being so conservative with his use of power. Trump gives zero fucks about ethics, optics, conflicts, politics... It's like we made the Joker the president. He's a dog chasing cars. He just does things.

But is there light at the end of this dank, dark tunnel? Lots of people say yes. The rumors rumbling through the twittersphere, and elsewhere, whisper "Grand jury" or "Sealed indictment" urgently. I want to believe... But I've been hurt before.

All the while, the tweets! The tweets!

It's a fitting future, really. That we would have a Nixonian scandal live tweeted from a dark corner somewhere in the White House.

"Where's the president?"

"I don't know. He gave me the slip again. Is he in Ivanka's room?"

"Negative. He's tweeting. HE'S TWEETING!"

"All agents, be advised. We have a Code Brown on Tweety Bird! I say again, Code Brown! Check all the bathrooms and closets! This is not a drill!"

It'd be a whole lot funnier if it wasn't a thing that probably has happened and does happen. This fucking guy is an embarrassment. An absolute disgrace.

Is today the day?

Western news correspondents in North Korea have been told today to expect a "big and important event". At times, in the past, this has amounted to nothing. Other times, however, this has heralded a test of either a missile or a nuclear warhead.

So, with Trump's “Armada” steaming full ahead towards North Korea, is this going to be what kicks off war with North Korea?

It's apparent that Trump is very keen on conflict. When we're talking about North Korea, or Syria, we're not talking about Russian connections to the treasonous Trump team. Distraction is one of Trump's absolute favorite tactics. Mainly, because it works. Our media has proven time and again to be as susceptible to distraction as the very dumbest of our population. At this point, Donald may as well be jingling his car keys at them.

So, if Kim tests a nuke today then what is the response? Tomahawks? Airstrikes? Both will be a clear declaration of war. North Korea is not Syria. This isn't pantomime any more. If we attack North Korea at all, if we fire a missile, a round, if we throw a fucking rock, we will be at war with North Korea. Period.

We are in the absolute worst position we could be in. We are sitting here today and wondering - “How will Trump respond to provocation?”.

The answer, unfortunately, is probably “Not well”.

I fear that by the day's end we will be at war. Someone should tell Donald Trump that you can't win a war from a golf course. 

Trump - Conning the media again.

Wow, that Syria distraction sure was effective.

Call Putin and warn him. Putin warns Assad. They clear the airfield, let the Tomahawks make some noise and move some dirt around, and get back to work on their still completely functional runway.

"Hey, Putie! We're going to bomb an airfield to distract people from my terrible presidency, Sad! Don't tell Bashar, ok?!" pic.twitter.com/uCkYhqPjR3

— Heysoos X Thompson (@GrafHeysoos) April 8, 2017

"Everything you tell Putie is strictly between us, Donny. You know that! I love you." pic.twitter.com/7aITvT2sng

— Heysoos X Thompson (@GrafHeysoos) April 8, 2017

The most obvious of political pantomimes.

Meanwhile...

Pay no attention to Trump's expensive desert distraction, North Korea is where it's going down.#ImpeachTrump https://t.co/gOXanZFg1R

— Heysoos X Thompson (@GrafHeysoos) April 9, 2017

And this is the real story. North Korea is looking like a likely target more and more. Trump wants to start a war to save his presidency. He's going to use it to consolidate his power. "We don't have time to investigate this Russia nonsense!" They'll say, "We're at war!".

And North Korea is playing right into it.

"North Korea says a US missile strike on Syria "proves a million times over" that it was right to strengthen its nuclear programme, state media report."


North Korea has WMDs and it's dictator is breaking our sanctions. We have to act, they say, before he starts randomly shooting off missiles at other sovereign nations. How do you do this the day after firing 59 missiles at another sovereign nation with a straight face? Missiles that he fired, by the way, while he was meeting with the Chinese President. He told him that shit at dinner. I'm sure that's just a coincidence, though.

So instead of sitting down at the table with North Korea, which is really all that lil' Kim wants from us, we are going to attack them. Trump has drawn the line for China, his aggression towards North Korea is evident, his forces are moving into place, and he is exactly the kind of nutcase that would start a war to save a presidency.

And the media will fall for it. Just as those "beautiful" missiles distracted idiot talking heads with bright lights and loud noises so too will this impending North Korean conflict. They'll forget all about Russia and go into 24 hour news war mode. We'll all be far too busy watching night vision videos of rockets bursting in air to worry about the Russians' compromising our entire government. We need to be keeping our eyes on the ball and they're going to be distracting us with shiny things. These are the times that CNN and their ilk are bad for America.

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While it is true that Trump's White House is now clearly a lost cause of scandal and incompetence there may still be a silver lining:

Trump may be too busy, or even completely unable, to pursue military actions.

He's in it now and it's showing. He's coming apart at the seams live on Twitter. His mad ramblings, written in such obvious panic and desperation, should be more proof than anyone needs. The way he attempts to fling blame at other people is a clear indicator. He's compromised, there is proof, and he knows it. Why else would he be so worried about a wiretap that he'd tell his tweeps before he asked his advisers? 

He's rattled.

Imagine that you're a general watching this. A general that, not so long ago, watched your commander-in-chief throw you and your buddies under the fucking bus for a botched raid that he himself greenlit. 

Now you're thinking about your career, your family, your troops. Are you going to follow this man into battle? Having served under some questionably suited NCOs and officers I can tell you that disobeying an unlawful order is as much a soldier's duty as following a lawful one. I have to hope that our military commanders are the men that I think they are and that they should be.

I also don't see Trump getting any cooperation from our allies at the moment regarding broad military action - like war with Iran. I've written about my belief that Trump will attack Iran in much the same way that Bush attacked Iraq; Looking for things that aren't there and after a dubiously connected terrorist attack. I can't see that happening with the way things are going. As with most of my most pessimistic writing... I hope I'm wrong.

The support that he needs seems to be dwindling. As Republicans continue to play damage control, while they push through measures to make their friends rich, they are slowly distancing themselves from the Trump administration. Especially now that the Republican healthcare plan has been outed as an absolute disaster. Trump has no real allies that I can see. Is a politician ever a true ally? A person motivated solely by their self interest is never going to burn for you.

It'll be very interesting to see how the Trump administration responds to Rachel Maddow's exposure of Trump's 2005 tax returns. The WH's statement...

is a disaster. How embarrassed are you that this is the kind of statement that Trump's WH releases?

So, what now? They just accused Maddow of breaking the law. Are they going to arrest her? Is this the next iteration of the "Lock Her Up!" movement? Isn't it funny that Trump and his cronies have been saying for this entire time that he can't release his tax returns and then today, when the press gets a portion of them, they are eager to release that portion but only that portion? We need to see those taxes.

What Maddow has now isn't actionable but she's got the right idea. By showing what she has she can show us what we need and why we need it. Hopefully this is only the beginning. 

I believe that the president is corrupt and compromised, I believe that initially only his inner circle were fully aware of the extent of this, and I believe that now, as the evidence pours out of the many holes in the HIRMS Trump, people that previously did not believe are starting to. What they will do with this information I have no idea. 

Trump is sinking, though. 

Watch the rats.

A short rant.

The weird turn pro.

If Everything Is Racist Then Nothing Is.

You'll see and hear a lot of the same things from people right now. One of the biggest phrases I see a lot is "You think everything is racist.". This is usually said right after you call someone out for being racist. They do this to marginalize you and destroy the credibility of your statement. It's complete bullshit and should not be tolerated. Racism exists. We all know this. It exists in many forms and in many people. Race relations in Amerikkka have always been shaky, at best. We live in a country that committed genocide against it's native people, enslaved it's black and Chinese people, locked it's Japanese people in internment camps, that continues to suppress it's minority community's votes, and is now talking about deporting 11 million Hispanic immigrants and forcing Muslims to register. We need to talk about racism.


Call it what it is.

If you're a white person that is spouting this "You think everything is racist" bullshit then, guess what? You're supporting racism and further damaging race relations at a time when we do so at our peril. Look around and realize that your apathy is allowing for the rise of fascist rhetoric and the loss of basic human rights for your friends and neighbors.

If you're a POC and you aren't calling out racism WHENEVER you hear it then, guess what? You are supporting racism and further damaging race relations. This shit cannot and should not be tolerated in our society. We've come to goddamn far to be taking these huge steps backwards. I refuse to go back to a time when a white man thought it acceptable to call me a nigger in the street. You should, too.

Making America great again means stepping back to the 1960s and undoing the entire civil rights movement? It means leaping back to the 1940s and one of the most shameful things we've ever done as a nation? It means deporting millions of people that DO contribute to our economy, both in tax revenue and in purchasing power? It means undoing LGBT rights? It means ignoring the RIGHT of Natives to defend water they depend on to live? It means allowing fascist hate groups to march around spewing disgusting rhetoric about white supremacy?

I don't think so.

America IS great because it's a melting pot. Because we are supposed to unite as Americans in times of need. This is a time of need. Do not let a small group divide us.

I don't hate white people, and I know that most white people don't hate me, but some of them do. Acknowledging that is not the cause of racism but the cure for it. Be my brother, respect my opinion, understand my point of view, and I will do the same. Don't dismiss me because my opinion makes you uncomfortable.

A message for the fascists.

I have a message for those that would threaten us.

For those that mean us harm.

For those that think us weak.

The President-Elect is a Pathological LIAR.

The first thing I saw Donald J. Trump say today was a lie. This has been par for the course these last 18 or so months. The only explanation I have for this is that he thinks we're all morons. He might be right.

This tweet, taking aim again at the "Lugenpresse", is a flat out LIE. Disprovable with a simple google search, like so.

How dishonest are they, Mr. Not My President-Elect? Not nearly as dishonest as you, to be sure.

It seems, though, that he nor his supports care for the truth any longer. It seems that the only truth is what more people hear. In Trumpland, a lie becomes the truth when it's heard by more people than the real fact. Just say it loud, proud, and often. People will believe it.

This is NOT MY PRESIDENT.

Pepe Earth - with David Attenborough.

The Twittersphere.

Host to all manner of creatures, the Twittersphere is a strange and wondrous place. Here can be had all sorts of experiences. From hearty laughs with friends to cordial chats with celebrities. It has toppled governments, shaped elections, and decided the winners of gameshows. For some, it is an information super highway linking them to the entire world at light speed so that they may gather knowledge for the good of all mankind. For other, lesser creatures, it is simply an outlet for their angst. A way to work through their personal issues without being personal. Anonymity, to these base lifeforms, is the only way that they can truly be themselves as, in the real world, larger and more powerful beings would surely crush them.

One such denizen of this world is "The Pepe".

Seeking out those it deems to be weaker, the Pepe will attack indiscriminately. Largely a pack animal, due to it's fragile nature, the Pepe charges headlong into a fray with reckless abandon. This generally works for the Pepe. 

Sometimes, however, the Pepe makes a grave mistake. 

This is one such time.

Welcome to Pepe Earth.

First, the Pepes are engaged.

Enraged by the challenge, the Pepes attempt to show physical dominance. It's perceived prey wastes no time in asserting it's own prowess. This causes the Pepe to signal other Pepes to help as he realizes, too late, that he is outmatched.

Then a rule of the internet is stated.

The Pepes then respond in typical fashion and the rule is restated.

His companion is sensing that he is fading and attempts, quite unsuccessfully, to strike.

I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into the Twittersphere and this revealing look into that strange creature, the Pepe.

Please join us again, here, on Pepe Earth.

Social Insecurity.

I'm writing this post from a hospital room. No, not mine. Sorry to disappoint you Alt-Right fucks that keep sending me death threats. Here lies a relative. She's in ICU and thus oblivious to the changes that have befallen her world. As she struggles to overcome her injuries, sustained because no one checked the drug interactions before she was given her medicine, she's not worried about her social security. We are, to be sure. She, however, was dead for about ten minutes before they revived her and because of this she isn't quite aware of Trump's plans. Hopefully, her brain damage isn't too severe... or she might leave this hospital a Trump supporter herself.

I envy her slightly. Odd, I know. Why would I be envious of someone that is possibly suffering from anterograde amnesia? Well, if I told her right now that when she left this hospital she would probably not have her social security much longer she might be horrified. She might even cry, wail, and otherwise lament this new calamity that had assailed her. She would then fall asleep, wake up, and have no memory of that grave event. Though she falls asleep in Trumpland she does not wake up in it. That has to be some comfort. I'm sure some reading this can relate to the bliss of such an ignorance. Would you know it, though?

Of course, I'm being dramatic. I don't want tubes sticking out of my throat. I don't want nurses wiping my ass. I would be immensely upset with having to speak to my children in whispers from a hospital bed. The last thing I would want to hear is that when, indeed if, I managed to pull myself up out of my bed, rip the tubes from my trachea and the IV needles from my hands, and walk out of this hospital with my head high, I would then find myself without my sole source of income. Old, lost, sick, and forgotten. This is her reality now. What a slap in the face that this poor woman is fighting for her life and her health while the rug is being pulled from under her by some white men in suits who's only interest is lining their pockets.

But, hey, at least you get your wall, right?

Except you don't.

Even now, Trump is hedging on his promise of wall building. Newt, a man who fits his name more perfectly than if Mitch McConnell were actually called "Turtle", described it as a "campaign device" that Trump would not be putting much time into building or making the Mexicans pay for. The Mexicans who quite clearly stated they aren't paying for our fucking wall. And why would they? Did anyone actually stop to think about how we were going to get another country to pay for a wall that we wanted to build to keep them out? Or did everyone just jump on the "Trump train"?

Toot toot. All aboard the bullshit express. Next stop change.

What a bunch of suckers you all are

Look at your working class heros, LAUGHING AT YOU.

                                       

Change you can deceive with.

In the aftermath of this election I find myself in an unusual place. As a patriot, and a veteran of George Bush's war to "get the bad man who tried to hurt Daddy", I respect our democracy. I understand our social contract and the rule of law. I know that I am supposed to try and work with my fellow American in good faith so that we might come together under our new president. Still, I reject him. He's baffled and clueless. An outsider only in that he doesn't know how things work on the inside.

To say he's the "Anti-Establishment" candidate is to misunderstand what the establishment is. That is to say, a billionaire real estate developer who's father was a billionaire real estate developer who's father was a millionaire real estate developing pimp is not anti-establishment. In fact, these are the men that built the establishment and, believe it or not, the men that would see it continue.

The change you sought will not come from a Donald J. Trump. Not in the way you think it will. Sure, he hates Mexicans like you do. He might even dislike them niggers, too, but he's not going to run the country on this platform. That position is untenable in American politics.

Rest assured that if he did raise a large deportation force and run house to house rounding up all your brown skinned neighbors the streets would run red with blood. Blood from all types of people because, guess what folks, we all bleed the same color. You may think that the Negro's blood is black and that yours is red, white, and blue, but that is about as true as creationism. That is to say, not. Even if there were a God I fear that his brown skinned Jew son might have some choice words for the likes of the Alt-Right. I do not, however, attempt to speak for that man.

What will you do when your wall is not built? When the Hispanics are still here and the blacks have not fled your neighborhoods in fear of the hateful note you left on their windshield? What will you do when those that you torment on twitter have blocked you? When the evidence of Trump's fling with Paris Hilton, when she was a minor, hits the internet? Leaked, I'm sure, by the Russian friends who's favor he curried to win the election but who's favor he will lose when he fulfills none of his promises? Trump is, after all, a man that has built an empire on unfulfilled promises and unpaid loans. He is the ultimate salesman. He has no product but his name. Nothing upstairs but his obscene hair. Nothing in the bank but a box full of IOUs. Now that he owes you, what will you do?

I choose to not wait. I don't need to look into the box. I don't need to watch the sex tape. I don't need to ruffle the hair. I've bought my fair share of used cars. I can smell his brand of bullshit a mile away, even if it has a big, gold T on it. So I'll be sharpening my pitchfork and lighting my torch, dear friend. I will take to the streets and I will fight this madness to the bitter end. I will breathe the tear gas and I will face down the rubber bullets. Not for me, I no longer care about myself, but for the little girls and boys that he does not consider citizens. For the men that he considers criminals, drug dealers, and rapists. For the women that he demeans, the America that he believes he has fooled, and, most of all, for the constitution that he aims to wipe his fat orange ass with the moment he plants it at the Resolute desk. I aim to be as resolute as that desk. As steadfast as the English Oak from which it was carved.

I shall not yield to tyranny.