Although Donald Trump & other right-wing nutjobs are my usual target for political satire, I'm an equal opportunity critic. The reign of terror that is just beginning under Trump 2.0 is partly the fault of the Democratic establishment, that has not given a proper voice to the populist, progressive views shared by so many people in this nation.
Few represent the decrepit, corporatist, out-of-touch Democratic establishment better than Sen. Chuck Schumer of NY. However effective he may have been throughout his career, Schumer & the party leadership have failed to truly recognize and organize against the absolute assault on American society by President Musk & demented Uncle Donny. These old-guard Democrats are totally clueless on how to deal with the immediate, existential threat to democracy and the American institutions being rapidly executed by The Trump Republican Party™.
Granted, it is tremendously difficult to fight back against the fascist shitstorm that is upon us, especially when it being perpetrated by such insane stupid assholes... but, hey, that's what you fucking signed up for when you became a national political leader!
If you want an example on how to address the current situation, look to Congresspeople like Chris Murphy, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jasmine Crockett, and of course, the people's champ Bernie Sanders, who is organizing "Fight the Oligarchy" events. In the alternate timeline where Bernie became our President, perhaps we wouldn't be swirling down a corporately-controlled regressive dystopia in this country. Back here in so-called "reality", at least he is trying to communicate with & mobilize the citizens. The power of the populace needs to be harnessed to push back against the systematic repression of social progress by the various monied interests controlling our government and economy.
Anyway, all that Sen. Schumer has been able to muster, in the face of these barbarians recklessly dismantling the federal government, is some disgruntled condemnations & cringe-inducing press conferences. Schumer's signature "sternly looking over the glasses on the tip of his nose" has become a meme in itself. So, I thought that I should properly memify "Concerned Schumer," as seen above.
Trump’s Republican Congress, in Awe of Their Golden God-King by The Monkey Buddha
However, a closer look reveals the disturbing reality…
Seeing the Republican cower before a buffoon like Trump has been an eye-opening lesson in craven fealty & shameless cowardice. Republicans at his joint session to Congress, clapping for ideas like annexing Greenland and cutting social services, are absolutely insane.
I generated the base image with Stable Diffusion, & stayed up late one night photoshopping all these creepy Trump-loving Congressmen's faces in, beholding Donald Trump's gold-plated, shit-stained glory.
With President Donald Trump pushing the boundaries of his megalomania ever & ever farther, his social media accounts recently exclaimed "Long Live the King!" as he injects himself into New York's controversial 'congestion pricing' system.
I already generated the graphic above a couple weeks ago, but now it's even more appropriate in light of this recent news. The image was created from two renders by Stable Diffusion AI. I composited & retouched the resulting picture in Photoshop. The prompt was: trump sitting on a toilet throne with a poop emoji crown, surrounded by piles of gold and skulls
Trump truly is "The King of Bullshit"... and not just for the stream of unrepentant lies and utter toxicity that flows from his speech. He repulses me to my core, but I'm actually going to use this post to (sort-of) praise him for also exposing how much of our Reality™ is bullshit.
The most significant thing that he has done, as The King of Bullshit, is to show that all of our public institutions and socio-political systems are ultimately bullshit.
Our entire civilization is built on the most fragile foundation of gentleman's agreements & honor systems. What Trump has shown, is that unscrupulous people with no personal honor nor respect for these institutions can just tear everything apart. They can quickly dissolve these transient, imaginary creations that we call "society" & "government". As part of a relatively stable political framework for the last couple centuries, Americans have come to take our relatively well-functioning social order for granted. Trump has ripped open the curtain, and there's nothing behind our established institutions. It's all sunyata, emptiness...
Government is bullshit. It's made up of millions of actual civil servants, politicians, & military personnel, but it is really an abstract entity perpetuated by the systems & layers of bureaucracy that have been built up over decades. No matter how well things are run, it is all impermanent, & subject to being destroyed at any time. When you have a tyrannically-minded asshole like Trump & his fanatical sycophants ready to raze the established order, it has now been shown that the only thing holding everything together was the flimsy thread of "respect" that people continually hold for the government & it's principles. The checks & balances that the country's founders implemented simply do not exist if the parties do not exercise them. The Republican-majority Congress and the conservative Supreme Court have not asserted their authority in the governmental triad, and instead have let King Trump and his administration steamroll the entire system.
"The Law" & Its Enforcement are bullshit. Trump has proved this truth, time & time again. Law is another one of those things, hand-in-hand with government, that depends on people to respect & uphold it. If this is not enforced, then the whole thing is shown to be just a farce, a collective illusion that we agree to. The fact that Donald Trump escaped prosecution for the Jan 6th attempt to block the election certification, as well as his various fraudulent activities, AND became the fucking President of the United States shows that law is definitely not equally applied & can be completely subverted. He's shown that the courts are also bullshit, & they can either be politicized, corrupted, or stalled. As the Trump Administration churns out executive directives, organizations & states have begun to sue. People are looking to the courts to save us from the Trump/DOGE wrecking ball, but litigating against this administration's actions is like putting bandages on a decapitated head, the critical damage is done or unstoppable, & the country is fucked in the short term, for sure.
The Media is bullshit. Trump, being the King of Bullshit & master media manipulator, has shown how dishonest & sensationalized the news media has become. "Sane-washing" became a term during the 2024 election campaign to describe how the media & journalists simply don't call out Trump on his insane bullshit. It's agonizing to watch talking heads try to come terms with or spin the constant flood of belligerent stupidity & craziness. There are still fact-checkers in the news (much to the dismay of the MAGA faithful), but more people should just point out that Trump is a total ignoramus & often has no clue what the hell he's talking about. "The Weave", yeah sure,... it's called BULLSHIT.
Consensus Reality is bullshit. That's right- there is no such thing as an agreed reality, especially in the realm of politics. Political divisions have always been a major force in any society throughout history. However, the influence of social media and digital information have drastically affected perceptions of reality through misinformation, propaganda, and fictions. The devastating effectiveness lies with their distribution to the individual & collective consciousness, via the algorithms determining the content viewed based on an individual's psychological profile. We still have verifiable physical facts, but people may still not accept your measuring system or your descriptions even if they are supposed to be rooted in so-called objective reality. As Robert Anton Wilson described, we are living in our own "reality tunnels," and although there are certainly shared experiences among us, everyone is literally in their own world. When I go into the comments on Fox News articles, it is often like entering Bizarro World. The more MAGA the news source, the more disconnected from reality it seems to be. Trump himself, channeling 1984's Big Brother, has demanded that "what you're seeing... is not what's happening".
So here were are, Donald Trump, The King of Bullshit, is enshittifying the country, the world, & everything he touches, like the reverse King Midas. He is an narcissistic old fool sitting on an imagined throne, just as temporary as all the established institutions that he's exposing as a giant pile of bullshit.
I made this graphic in the same spirit as Shepard Fairey's Obama "HOPE" image- but twisted and unsettling- like Donald Trump's entire persona. If you stare at it long enough, you are guaranteed to lose your sanity. I thought of it while seeing online comments on the current "WEIRD" meme about Trump & the MAGA faithful.
The idea behind the viral nature of the label is that nobody has really called out Trump & Co.'s bizarre-ness, which has been obvious to most people all along. However, Trump & his followers have tried to gaslight everyone into believing that they are the "normal" way of being, when they are, in fact, the ones out of step with the consensus reality of the majority of people. Being "weird" is not a bad thing in itself (As an artist & designer, I've embodied weirdness a lot in my life), but when the illusion of normality is used to subjugate others, it is a negative quality. The reality is that Trump is a conman, a serial liar, an asshole abusive narcissist, and yes, ...totally fucking WEIRD. The fact that other people are still supporting him politically & defending his insanity, however, is even WEIRDER. If it weren't for his wealthy background & notoriety, people would think this guy is just a strange but idiotic, nonsense-spewing jerk.
Joe Biden was an effective President, but like I've posted before, his debate performance & public showing was a total disaster. Now that he has done the amazingly selfless thing & removed himself from the race, Kamala Harris has bust out of the gate and come out swinging, seriously bringing the fight to Trump & his campaign/legal fund. Now that Trump is the old & weak one, the flimsy public facade of Trump's normalcy is falling away. Everyone is seeing quite clearly how weird & totally unfit Trump and his people are for positions of power.
Just today, Trump told the audience of the National Association of Black Journalists that "I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln." & regarding Kamala Harris, "Is she Indian or black? ...but she obviously doesn't because she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden she made a turn, and she went -- she became a Black person."
The fucking balls on the stupid sonuvabitch, I'll give him that... Absolute pure madness.
So, instead of trying to inspire people, this is meant to freak people out about the weirdness of Donald Trump's candidacy, & frankly his whole existence.
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Since I made this graphic, the man who started the “MAGA is Weird” meme, Tim Walz, has been named the candidate for Vice-President. It’s an interesting phenomenon because the label frames Trump & his most faithful followers in a way that is difficult to argue against without sounding, well… weird.
Why? Because Trump & his people who have taken over the Republican party ARE totally weird. They always have been, but now the facade is falling away. The majority of Americans are seeing just how unfit such an ignorant, petty, narcissistic man is to lead really anything at all, no less the entire country, with all its complexities & nuance.
Being “weird” wouldn’t be a bad thing in itself- as an artist & designer, I've embodied weirdness a lot in my life! Trump’s brand of weirdness is dangerous, though, because he doesn’t care about anyone or anything in society, other than what directly benefits him. It takes superhuman levels of bending reality in your mind to imagine Trump & Co. as “normal” by any definition.
Any 1 or 2 of his most disturbingly weird qualities would have been enough to completely sink a candidate in the past. Donald Trump is a maelstrom of constant weird bullshit, but somehow people have bought into his twisted image & admired it. It’s all so WEIRD.
• Slathering on orange clown makeup, & styling your hair in the most ridiculous way possible - WEIRD.
• Cheating on your wife who just gave birth to your infant son, by paying a porn star for sex - WEIRD (& scummy).
• Hugging American flags & dead supporters’ work gear - WEIRD.
• Publicly expressing, on multiple occasions, your sexual interest in your own daughter - WEIRD.
• Hanging with Jeffery Epstein - WEIRD.
• Acting like you’re the face of “Law & Order,” when you’ve been indicted & convicted of numerous crimes WEIRD.
• Rage-posting ALL CAPS jingoistic word salads in the early hours of the morning - WEIRD.
• Shamelessly pandering to Christians, when you embody the 7 deadly sins, check all the boxes for the anti-Christ, and constantly break the 10 Commandments - WEIRD.
• Can’t laugh or relate to good-natured humor - WEIRD.
• Unable to operate outside a ‘zero-sum-game’ mentality. Everything is either “the best” or “terrible”, everyone is either “nasty” or wonderful,” depending on how they cater to your ego - WEIRD.
• Willing to tear down American democracy & institutions for your own personal benefit - WEIRD.
• Don’t give one single damn about lying continuously, even about things that can easily be fact-checked - WEIRD.
The list could go on, & on, & on…
Are Kamala Harris & Tim Walz (and really everyone) weird in their own ways? Sure, but when you don’t reek of insecurity from rampant egotism, you can have a laugh about it instead of trying to deny it.
After 4 federal & state indictments, for almost 100 criminal charges (so far), Donald J. Trump has finally taken his greatest publicity photo yet - his booking mugshot at Fulton Co. jail in Georgia. This arrest was for the charges that he's facing there as Inmate #P01135809 - of racketeering & conspiracy to overthrow the election.
This will obviously go down in history as the most infamous mugshot ever (& maybe photo, in general). Like everything Trump does, it is the Biggest & Best Ever, but for all the wrong reasons.
It's such a surreal situation- the former President of the United States being booked on charges to basically thwart the fundamental democratic process of free elections. He is a straight-up criminal thug whose activity is inexcusable when looked at objectively (an impossible feat for a true MAGA devotee).
This ridiculous mugshot is typical Trump, trying to control the media narrative for his benefit. You can tell he's trying to do the "tough & intimidating" look, but to any sane person it just comes off as silly & fake like everything else he does. One comment I saw online likened it to an Angry Bird that has morphed into an old man.
Predictably, Trump supporters immediately embraced the normally-humiliating mugshot as a perverse badge of honor. In MAGA Bizarro-World, it's become a symbol of über-patriot Trump being unjustly persecuted by the corrupt system. In reality, it's the symbol of the justice system finally holding a corrupt, self-centered asshole in power accountable for his actions.
The memes, merchandise, & fundraising began the micro-second the photo was shared online. Trump raised millions of dollars in the first day from absolute idiots willing to donate money to a "billionaire" for his criminal defense. Trump's own account posted this totally shitty graphic:
___________________
"NEVER SURRENDER!"
- From a guy who has already SURRENDERED 4 TIMES to law enforcement.
The stupidity truly has no limit. The hypocrisy in this graphic alone should be enough to make your head spin, but there are actually people out there who are eating all his bullshit up. It's just baffling to me.
The really wild thing about this indictment is the 19 other co-defendants who are also being charged. It's a who's-who of MAGA scumbags- "America's {Disgraced} Mayor" Rudy Giuliani, Batshit Conspiracy Lawyers John Eastman & Sydney Powell, Trump's own Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and so many people who willingly tried to break the law to subvert the election process... all for a con-man who has now hung them out to dry. It's sad & shameful that these people are now facing jail time for the likes of Donald Trump, but they deserve the consequences of their actions.
They all are entitled to their day in court & to maintain their innocence, but the evidence already is pretty damning. You just cannot put so much faith into 1 party, or 1 man, that you are willing to completely overturn the election process & the votes of American citizens. It's authoritarian bullshit that has no place in a democratic society.
Of course, there are people who sincerely believe that Trump won the election, but that's just pure ignorance. Trump is not THAT popular, AT ALL. Trump supporters can't wrap their heads around the fact that the majority of the people preferred Biden. "...but, but there were NO Biden flags anywhere before the election!!!" Guess what? Normal people don't fly a flag outside their house with an old politician's head on Rocky Balboa's muscular body, like Trump supporters do.
Anyway, the one good thing to come out of this fucking mess is the endless memes. So, far the best one regarding all the co-conspirators shows them as the rogues gallery of Batman villains. My brother sent it to me before Trump got his mugshot. I said, "send them all to Arkham Asylum! Looks like they're waiting for Trump to be the Joker." Sure enough, the wonderful genius (@iamhappytoast) who created these images made Trump the Clown Prince of Crime.
So, damn, what else is there to say? Shit's so crazy. All you can do is watch and wonder what comes next. I do think all right-minded people have the responsibility to speak out, & not accept the possibility of another administration that is as unrepentantly criminally-minded as Trump's. Extreme right-wing conservatives think that they have some kind of moral mandate over the rest of us, when the actual policies that their values reflect are usually downright horrible for the people and the country.
The MAGA mindset is really a cult-like phenomenon that has coalesced around the incarnate golden calf, Donald Trump. Anyone can see it, except for the people who have been propagandized into that mindset. It's scary how detached from reality certain people in that mindset can be, and it has proven to be a serious danger to the smooth functioning of our democracy. I am all for conservatism playing their part in politics, as well as skepticism of systems of control & the government. However, we can't just let a random band of crazy fuckers screw everything up because they want their guy to win.
Trump is a toxic influence that has infected politics in a way that is amazing and disgusting at the same time. His malignant narcissistic personality disorder has gone beyond him, & has led to a type of cultural mental illness that is demonstrably harmful to society, in all aspects. The only way for us as individuals to counteract this influence is to ridicule it, & call it out on it's own nonsense until it's marginalized. The way for society, as a whole, to counteract it is to do what is happening here; prosecute those who are acting on de-stabilizing our institutions and norms in a way that will cause harm to the country & it's democratic processes. Our relative freedom & rights as citizens depends on us not succumbing to authoritarian and fascist tendencies, like MAGA & Trump-worship.
The very idea that Donald Trump can try to run for President after being indicted in several different jurisdictions is absolutely bonkers & totally unacceptable. It does not surprise me that the boot-licking sycophants of the Republican party would still back him as their candidate, but it's still pathetic.
It's a surreal & a scary time, when American democracy is being threatened by True Believers who cannot accept that maybe, just maybe, they are wrong or have been misinformed about many, many things. Hopefully, enough people can look past their own biases and media influences, to bring some normalcy to political discourse and policy. Trump & his fans ultimately need to be seen for what they are - an anomaly, & not the norm. This begins by society holding Trump accountable for his continual stream of misdeeds. This mugshot is symbolic of the idea that no one should be above the law, especially someone as destructive to society as Donald Trump.
So here we are... on indictment #3 for Donald Trump, the malignant narcissist con-artist & shitty game show host who preyed on the worst instincts of America's most clueless voters to become President of the United States. Just like everything else he touches, Trump debased and corrupted the office to the extent that he has multiple criminal indictments, for dozens of charges, finally coming down on him.
I am actually typing this in a hospital delivery room, as my wife is in induced labor & we are patiently waiting for our daughter to be born. She woke up from our brief, interrupted sleep this morning & looked at her phone & said "What the fuck is this??" as Donald Trump's scowl appeared in her news feed. 😂 My son's third birthday was during Trump's 2nd indictment in June, & now my daughter's being born while this 3rd set of charges are being brought forth. Causes for celebration all around! Of course, Trump's misdeeds are nothing to be celebrated- but every American should be glad that no one, not even a former President, who breaks the law is above facing consequences.
Unfortunately, there is a sizeable minority of Americans who have been propagandized into believing that this is all just a partisan "witch hunt," persecuting poor lil' innocent Donald- instead of the justice system actually holding a serial criminal & immoral asshole accountable for his provable crimes. The Republican Party has become The Cult of Trump, and for them, circling the wagons to protect their own party is more important than loyalty to the country as a whole.
This set of charges is for his involvement in the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol and the effort to illegally overturn the 2020 election.
Even though he is a loser who fails at so many things in business and life, his twisted ego could not let him accept (at least publicly) that he had lost the election to Joe Biden. Instead of doing the honorable thing and gracefully leaving office, he had to break the law and use any means necessary to keep his grip on power.
The crazy thing to me is that anyone would take this buffoon seriously about anything. For instance, he's calling special counsel Jack Smith "deranged" and all these charges coming from various investigations "fake" & "prosecutorial misconduct". As with everything, his accusations are just projections. Does this look like an unhinged man to you?
Yes, a total lunatic, compared to this dignified gentleman:
What an absolute fucking joke. I can't take it... how can people worship this fool? The funny thing is that his dumbass supporters believe that this is all a Democrat plot by Joe Biden's Justice Dept. to keep Trump out of the Presidential race. However, the charges have been voted on by an impartial grand jury, & in the latest indictment, all the witnesses are Republicans who worked under him!
It's all so stupid, in a nefarious way. The power of party politics and right-wing misinformation have brainwashed a third of the U.S. population to believe that a total moron, traitor, & the embodiment of the worst human qualities imaginable is some kind of hero.
Trump has at least one more set of criminal charges coming from Georgia, which are related to these charges for his attempt to subvert the election process. However, there is no number of indictments from any authority that will convince the MAGA rubes that Dear Leader is the self-serving crook that everyone else recognizes. It still cracks me up that the GOP call themselves the "law & order party," when they support one of the most egregious political criminals in the nation's history.
Well, my wife is about to start pushing our baby out, so I'll end my rant and let justice (& childbirth) take it's course!
Donald Trump is being indicted on more criminal charges, this time for federal offenses regarding the mishandling of classified information. Specifically, he lied & refused to cooperate with authorities to return sensitive government documents, some of which are still missing.
It is obvious to anyone with at least a few brain cells firing that Trump (an absolute imbecile who has the reading comprehension of an elementary school student) would only want these documents for very bad reasons. A) Being a malignant narcissist, he wanted to show off these secret documents like trophies. B) To use as some kind of leverage, because everything has to be reduced to a zero-sum deal. C) The most likely reason - to sell to the highest bidder, in the ultimate grift.
Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner's 2 billion dollar gift from the Saudi's to his investment firm right after Trump left office is just a coincidence, I'm sure! Anyway, Republicans say Hunter Biden's laptop and his shady deals are a much more serious matter, even though Kushner directly worked in the Trump administration & Biden's son did not...
Speaking of which, the most infuriating thing about Republican reaction to this shitshow is the what-aboutism. "Oh yeah?? Well, what about Hillary's Emails, & Burisma, & Hunter's Laptop, & Joe Biden's $5 Million Bribe & BLAH BLAH FUCKING BLAH!?!" Guess what, dummy? If YOU get caught drunk driving, telling the cop "It's not fair! there was a bar full of other drunks!" doesn't mean shit! "Party of Personal Responsibility" & "Party of Law & Order," my ass!
I really don't love the idea of putting people in cages, but society needs to dole out some form of punishment to deter crime. If those are the consequences in our society, than everyone, including Trump should be subject to their enforcement. If you believe in the necessity of the rule of law, then Donald Trump should have to deal with it, like everyone else who willingly breaks it.
After the charges were announced, I was listening to the cable news stations as I was driving around. They were discussing the seriousness of the charges & the implications. Then, I decided to turn on Fox News, & thought "I bet they're gonna be talking about Biden & Burisma or some shit"... Sure enough, über-douche Jesse Watters was ranting in his recognizably smug voice about: Burisma, The Biden Crime Family, & how even Dr. Jill Biden should be in jail (& she's not a real doctor) because if the "Left" can prosecute Trump, conservatives should be able to imprison the Bidens for any perceived corruption.
Hey asshole, it's the Dept. of Justice indicting him- not exactly an organization of leftist hippies. The insane, disingenuous reactions of conservatives about this is both astonishing & maddening.
Why are so many Republicans completely embarrassing themselves, by defending the criminal behavior of the sleazy jerk that Biff from "Back to the Future" was modeled on? Let him go, & move beyond the shitty cult of personality.
The fact that Trump has gone this long without facing serious legal consequences for his lifetime of misdeeds speaks to the imbalance of the justice system, in favor of the wealthy & powerful. However, like a doofy, loudmouth Icarus- Trump flew too close to the sun. He thought he was untouchable, and perhaps believed that he WAS the government and could do as he pleased with no real consequences.
Unfortunately for him, he is now realizing that the Federal Government is much, much more powerful than any one man - even one with blustering bravado of Trump. By basically stealing sensitive documents, refusing to return them, & then lying about the whole ordeal to the Feds, he crossed the line into a level of criminality that forced the Justice Dept. to enforce the law on this reckless, immoral fool.
This statement alone- that he can declassify documents “even by thinking about it” should make it clear to EVERYONE that his guy is out of his damn mind, stupid as hell, or a shameless fucking liar.
Guess what??? ...IT'SALL3!!!
This is now the second installment of the Trump Criminal Indictment Saga, with a couple sequels on the way- "Georgia Election Interference" & "January 6th Insurrection". Trump wants to be a TV star... well, now he's starring in the craziest damn reality drama this country's ever seen!
Donald Trump is finally facing his 1st indictment for *some* of his criminal activity (…with more to come), but for some damn reason, there are people who think he doesn’t deserve this- that he's being politically persecuted. They're NOT in the majority, nor are they in the right. Most of the country is looking at the MAGA zealots predictably freaking out in their echo chamber about Trump’s indictment, & thinking, “What the HELL is wrong with you?!?” Party of Law & Order, my ass.
All the people foolishly supporting Trump need to realize that maybe it’s not a “Deep State Conspiracy”, maybe it’s not a “Weaponization of the Justice System”, maybe… just MAYBE… Trump is actually guilty of numerous counts of provable criminal activity.
He’s not just a brazen career criminal, he’s a breathtakingly stupid career criminal - which is why he is now in this situation. He has only gotten away with so much for this long because he’s rich & famous. It’s unbelievable that he’s never been held accountable for his unlawful behavior up to this point (other than having his scam companies shut down, for fraud).
Are other politicians corrupt? Yes!! Are other public figures engaging in illegal activity? Of course.!! However, Trump is on a whole 'nother level. He constantly engages in immoral or illegal behavior, because he has absolutely NO morals or personal values, besides self-aggrandizement. Like I said, it was ultimately his unparalleled narcissism & foolishness that led him to get caught for all these crimes. Other offenders are smart enough to fly under the radar, or cover their tracks.
The fact that anyone would still defend such a clearly & obnoxiously immoral person is completely fucking insane, and goes to show how the far-right media as propagandized and misinformed people in this country. To all the conservatives saying “Well, guess what… now this could happen to a Democrat president!” or “Now they can come after YOU!” - Yeah… that’s the point, dumbass!!! Trump, or any other person in America, should not be above the law. If you do illegal shit, you face the consequences. End of story.
The difference between the Cult of Conservatism & everyone else, is that if a Democrat is legitimately found guilty of crimes, people in that party would say “Ok, that sucks... but bring them to justice.” Republicans only know how to circle their wagon, cry about being victims, & go into rabid denial. In the conservative mindset, blind tribalism always “trumps” accepting the reality that goes against their personal views. I’m an Independent voter, so party affiliation isn’t as important to me as it is to someone who is invested in their “team”.
Although I think Trump is a horrendous human being, I’m really not happy that he’s getting indicted... I think it’s a shameful stain on our county that such an idiotic low-life was ever elected, & I also think it’s shameful that a former President has to be formally charged for his blatant corruption.
It’s not the fact that he’s a Republican or a “people’s patriot” (*gag*) that’s gotten him into trouble- he deserves to be on trial because he’s a Criminal & a Crook. A Criminal - because he clearly breaks the letter of the law in numerous ways… & a Crook - because he’s a blatant liar, cheat, and con-man.
He makes even bad politicians look like amateurs when it comes to being unethical. Anyone who doesn’t realize this by now is pretty much a lost cause. I would say it’s time to do some deep soul-searching, to find out how they became so detached from reality, but I’d be wasting my breath. It seems like Trump Lovers are adverse to serious self-reflection. The writing has always been in HUUUUUGE letters on the wall, but those who worship their false golden idol simply don’t want to see it. So they squeeze their eyes shut, put their fingers in their ears, & whine, “Political Witch-Hunt!”
People who still have any illusions that Donald J. Trump has any redeeming qualities whatsoever need to snap out of their delusion. It’s just pathetic & ridiculous at this point. He’s an objectively bad person, who has spent his whole life doing morally and legally questionable things.
Trump’s going to have more charges coming his way from other states & the US Justice Dept. for all the illegal activity he’s done. He’ll be spending by the rest of his despicable life in jail or fighting charges. He deserves nothing less.
To celebrate President's Day, I would like to honor our current
President, Donald J. Trump. He is an honest and respectable man, who has
spent his life working hard & using his genius intellect to earn
wealth through reputable means.
As someone who has shown nothing
but respect & empathy to women, minorities, and those less fortunate
than him, he is the perfect person to lead this country. President
Trump has a calm, steady temperament that we need in these dangerous
times of fake news from the "lame-stream" media, with their pesky journalists and facts.
His humility is truly the example that Jesus and all the prophets &
saints of history would envy. We can take refuge in the knowledge that
God's own hand is guiding President Trump's finger on the nuclear
button. In this photo, we have President Trump shaking hands with
Ted Nugent- the lovely and patriotic man, who, by their current
trajectory, will be the Republican party's next nominee. What a class
act! In his elegantly tasteful black jacket & camo cowboy hat, Mr.
Nugent is giving the President a beautiful American flag guitar out of a
high-quality cardboard box. We can only hope to have someone like Mr.
Nugent, who is just as qualified & dignified as Mr. Trump, to follow
in his footsteps. God willing, Donald Trump will declare himself
Supreme Commander of America and elections will no longer even be
necessary. Then, we will begin a glorious multi-generational Trump
Family reign over our country, with Ivanka and Barron following their
wonderful father, as the rightful hereditary rulers of this country!
So let's all take a moment, bow our heads, and thank God for having the
omniscient wisdom to put such a knowledgeable & highly-qualified
individual in the most important position on Planet Earth.
I've made a personal tradition of pouring a whiskey on the rocks and watching the annual State of the Union speech by the current U.S. President.
Sitting through speeches from Bush, and now Trump, have been exercises in tolerance, though it feels like masochism. They're just not believable or wise characters (to anyone who hasn't gulped down the Kool-aid). Sure, Obama was a better speaker and a more thoughtful politician, but his State of the Union speeches were just the same dog-and-pony show. The purpose of this ceremonial speech is to express a vision of this country and society, and ideas on how to move it forward it a positive and realistic way. It's very hard to do that meaningfully or effectively in a 1-2 hr speech that needs to be simplified for the masses.
Trump did a decent job of reading off the Teleprompter, and didn't make a total ass of himself... Woo-hoo! The bar is set so low for this guy, that Republicans were basically applauding him for remaining coherent & finishing each sentence.
Every single State of the Union consists of the opposition party sitting & scowling, while the President's party is applauding & standing. However, the clapping after every line was just getting silly, and the sound of Trump clapping at himself into his mic just felt like it was to feed his ego, more so than in celebration of the content of his speech.
The Democrats are catching shit for not standing or clapping at different parts of the speech. It's hard to react to someone you disagree with, without coming off as a jerk. The GOP dealt with the same optics during Obama's term. The reason for the lack of enthusiasm is not because liberals or progressives don't care about the issues that Trump was talking about. The reason is- Trump is just not sincere about any of it! It's all lip service, & laughably bad lip service, at that.
I mean, let's be honest, the only thing Trump cares about is Trump. The guy is a known fraudster, a con-man, and a shitty businessman who has screwed over countless people, especially entrepreneurs to make himself money. The fact that his supporters have fallen for his ridiculous charade feels the same as when you hear of elderly people losing their savings to an obvious scam.
Then, there is the issue that the Trump administration, despite acting like a force for law & order, are completely subverting the law and national security to empower Russia. Yeah, I know, "NO COLLUSION!"....yeah, ok. Trump's connection to Russia & Putin isn't hard to figure out. As I said before, he's such a shitty businessman and credit risk that American banks wouldn't loan to him. Therefore, he had to go to foreign banks and perhaps less-than-reputable organizations to get financing. He obviously never wanted to release his taxes and financial info because it would make him look bad in some way. Otherwise, he'd be waving it in the cameras and bragging about it.
Now, there are investigations going on and some of his people have already been indicted. The problem for Trump is that he is treating every twist & turn in the worst way possible. Trump is not a genius. He's not even kind of smart. He's a dummy. Sometimes it's hard to know if he's intentionally lying or if he genuinely doesn't know what he's talking about. Thank God, because a smarter narcissistic sociopath might have done more damage by now.
30% of the country and the Republican Party have proven that they'll fall in line behind anyone unquestioningly, no matter how unqualified or incompetent. I wonder who will be next on their ballot in 2020. Jim Bakker perhaps? Ted Nugent? Really, how low can we go here? I'd rather not know...
Ok, now I'm starting to rant. Let me talk about the content of the speech. Oh, wait, there wasn't much more than the typical platitudes, & inspirational stories that politicians use as props. I'll just say that the most disturbing aspects of the speech to me were the blatant authoritarian appeals. He really wants a Trumpocracy, where neither merit nor integrity matter, only loyalty to him.
• Keep Gitmo open!
• We must have unquestioning praise for the military & police forces.
• Cabinet members should be able to fire agency employees for "not being a good American"!
• Let's increase our already bloated military, and start a new nuclear arms race!
• "USA! USA! USA!" (Idiocracy is coming true)
These were a few of his extraordinarily dangerous ideas. I also love the fact that he talks about lowering drug prices, then talks about escalating the war on drugs. The connection & irony is completely lost on him.
Who could've imagined that putting a self-absorbed man-child, reality-TV host, failed casino owner, & product huckster in charge of the country would be a bad idea?
As a postscript, let me also say that having Joe Kennedy III give the Democratic rebuttal shows just how fucked the American political system has become. Out of the millions of people in this country capable of being political leaders, the Dems bring out another Kennedy? Sure he spoke better than Trump and did his best to put on a show, but it all seems so contrived.
We have to figure out how to evolve beyond the limitations of the 2-party system, and the dangers of 1-party rule, if our democracy is going to survive.
Today is the day, where against all odds & common sense, Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated as The President of the United States.
This is truly a historic event. For the first time, a shitty businessman, expert in casino bankruptcy, con-artist, reality TV host, sexual predator, and person of orange color will be the most powerful person on the planet.
I have no doubt the coming years with Trump as the head of the Executive Branch will be a epic disaster. His shameless ignorance and ego-maniacal narcissism, as well as his endless ethical conflicts of interest, will lead to corruption in government that will make everything that came before it look like child's play.
Of course, I would prefer more than anything to be wrong, and I'd love to see a successful Trump administration lead this country with positive results. That, unfortunately, is foolish, and like being in a bus with a irritable monkey driving toward a cliff and hoping the monkey quickly figures out how to hit the brakes or steer away.
Although he hasn't made any official decisions yet, his ridiculous first press conference & his cabinet picks are all the indication I need to see where this is going. Rick Perry for Dept. of Energy? Tom Price for Sec. of Health & Human Services? Betsy DeVos for Sec. of Education? Get the fuck out of here with this shit. These people either are clueless about the departments they are supposed to run, or actively want to destroy it. Trump is simply fulfilling the Republican dream of dismantling the federal government from within. I don't think the government is the solution to all our problems, but there are some things government is needed for, and these people want nothing more than to hand all services and authority to corporate and private interests.
I was watching him talk at one of his donor events last night and it was mind-numbing to think this self-centered doofus is going to have so much power.
Anyway, I made the picture below back in 2011, during the days of the "birther" controversy, when Trump was leading the charge for Obama to show his birth certificate. I couldn't stand this asshole back then, and would never have imagined that America was so masochistic & fucked up that we'd actually elect this buffoon.
My Nostradamus-like visionary powers are both a blessing and a curse, but this graphic could never be more appropriate than this day of national reckoning.... or is it "wreck-ening"? ...We'll see soon enough.
To exacerbate the situation, our modern age has endless media sources that propagate information, opinions, and ideas from all perspectives- regardless of accuracy or intent.
When I was growing up, the idea of "fake news" was limited to media like The Weekly World News, with stories about Bat Boy and the President meeting with aliens.
Now, there are so many people and outlets creating content that it is increasingly difficult for the average person to distinguish fact from fiction. There are people taking advantage of this muddled media environment to raise thousands of dollars in ad revenue by making up fake news stories. They do this by taking advantage of people's willingness to share items on social media that reflect their worldview, regardless of the source.
Unfortunately, the population is severely lacking in the one skill that would help cut through the bullshit- the ability to think critically. People have not been taught how to be skeptical, research, and be objective. The result is that people either believe nothing at all, or they only trust what already reinforces their existing belief system.
It's so bad, that websites are giving advice on how to spot "fake news". These tips may seem like common sense to those with the ability to critically analyze information, but it is evidently something that much of the public needs to learn.
• Determine whether the article is from a legitimate website (although some people would argue the "legitimacy" of certain websites)
• Check the ‘contact us’ page
• Examine the byline of the reporter and see whether it makes sense
• Read the article closely
• Scrutinize the sources
• Look at the ads
• Use search engines to double-check
In this era of "click & share" this checklist is more than the typical person is willing to do. However, it's a good guide for the person who wants to make sure a source isn't completely full of shit.
It's New Year's Eve, January 31, 2016... the arbitrary designation of the end of one year, and the beginning of another.
Although it is a cultural and social creation, the idea of a new year is a symbolic time of change & renewal. Personally, this past year has been very transformative for me. I got engaged to the love of my life, celebrated my Dad's retirement, enjoyed vacations in the Poconos & the shore, and experienced significant professional growth.
For the world at large, 2016 was a crazy year, perhaps defined in the minds of many by an event that would have been considered totally absurd a year ago. Narcissistic womanizer, reality show host, & life-long con artist Donald J. Trump won the Electoral College vote to become President-elect of The United States of America.
It was an outcome that stunned most people, and it still feels like an episode of "The Twilight Zone". I saw this image of Rod Serling in front Trump at the Oval Office and thought it summed up the feeling perfectly.
If a moral, competent, and wise Republican had existed & won the election, the sense of dread would be much less. However, the majority of the country (who did not vote for this dangerous buffoon) is horrified that they are now subject to all the idiotic decisions he will undoubtedly make, or pass off onto his cabinet of swamp dwellers & a regressive Congress.
He hasn't even been sworn in yet, and almost every day he's making headlines with his ignorance, shameless lying, and crass behavior. This was his New Years' message, calling his fellow Americans "enemies" instead of "opponents".
Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don't know what to do. Love!
We are so fucked with this man-baby running things...
He just gave his first press conference as President-elect, and for some bizarre reason had Don King out there with him, wearing a ridiculous outfit & waving American, Israeli, and Russian flags. Can you imagine the conservatives heads exploding if Obama made a spectacle of himself like this? I'm going to make a list of all the things Trump's done already, but imagining the reaction from right-wingers if it was Obama doing it instead.
Trump is completely incapable of giving a detailed, well-thought answer to any of the questions, because he doesn't really know or truly understand a goddamn thing. He thinks whatever comes out of his mouth, no matter how inaccurate o downright wrong, should just be acceptable.
Then I read comments of more conservative websites, and it makes me think we are now a nation of internet trolls, or half the country has completely lost their minds.
I'm getting ready to enjoy a New Years Eve out in Philly with my fiancee & my family. We will be enjoying ourselves & not worrying about the potential disasters the next four years will bring. However, the country and the world will soon be faced with the unimaginable circumstances of a President Trump.
The important thing is to take of yourself and your loved ones, and do your best with any situations that may arise. I don't make any New Years resolutions, because if I want to do something, I just do it. The key to a fulfilled life is self-awareness and motivation to live fully and in the present moment. I will continue to live this way into 2017 & beyond...
The President of the United States is going to be casino magnate, shitty businessman, con-artist, and reality TV host, Donald Trump. It's so ridiculous. I love surrealism and absurdity, but this is mind-boggling.
Trump was able to win because of the miscalculation by the Democrats that America would rather have a compromised, establishment politician like Hillary Clinton instead of an independent politician with real convictions like Bernie Sanders. I truly wish we could have seen a true outsider, populist match-up between Bernie & Trump. The difference is that Bernie actually works for the average citizen, while Trump works hard at screwing them over.
When I made the graphic below, back in 2011, it seemed inconceivable that such a wacked-out scenario could actually happen. I wish my Nostradamus-like visionary powers weren't so strong. It's a blessing and a curse.
Now we are not only faced with 4 years of President A$$hole, but an emboldened Republican Congress that will push regressive policy affecting millions of people.
I'm trying to have an attitude of 'fuck it'. The optimist in me wants to that think maybe the conservative majority can listen to the will of the people and implement meaningful change. However, the realist in me thinks this is laughable. I think it's more likely that things are going to get bad with the short-sighted ideologues who make up the majority of the GOP running society.
As President Obama has said, the sun will rise tomorrow. Relatively speaking, this is a flicker of light off a wave's crest in the dance of an endless ocean. However, for those of us participating in this lightshow of maya, this seems like a truly odd and almost unbelievable phenomenon. I'm old & jaded enough to not be truly surprised by anything. I woke up this morning and saw the results on my phone, and could just shake my head & look out the window.
People will still keep fighting for what they believe in, and the endlessly complex interplay of human beings will continue on. However, the idea that we have to put up with this jackass being arguably the most powerful person in the world is just mind-blowing. I'm strapping myself in & getting ready for the ride!
I'm sure the first order of business will be renovating the White House, it will be tremendous:
Well, today is the day where The United States of America chooses its representatives in local & federal elections.
The citizens have a choice for President between two flawed, but distinct candidates. On the one hand, there's a career politician- the former First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State, and possibly the first female in the Oval Office if she's elected. On the other hand, there's an obnoxious, narcissistic man child- a shitty con artist of a businessman and reality TV star, who wasn't even allowed to stay in control of his own Twitter account because he was so goddamn stupid & reckless.
I started out rooting for Bernie Sanders, one of the few politicians who identifies as an Independent and has real integrity. I have never been a fan of Hillary Clinton, but for me and many others, this is a matter of keeping an unbelievably ignorant & downright dangerous Donald Trump from leading us back down into the ditch that modern Republican presidents inevitably drive us into.
I wish we had better choices on both sides. Unfortunately, with our winner-takes-all system, a vote for a third party is a complete waste. It really has been a complete shitshow of an election, especially with The Donald's antics throughout the process. As I've said before, I wanted him to win the Republican primary just so he could keep wreaking havoc on the political establishment & tear apart the decaying Republican party. Now, I just want him to go the hell away.
Statistically, it looks like Clinton is likely to win, but it ain't over till it's over. I'd like to see her crush Trump, just so he has less ground to stand on when he inevitably refuses to concede and claims everything is rigged. The guy is utterly delusional & I don't expect him to start accepting reality now.
So, today we'll see what we're stuck with for the next four years. I think Hillary Clinton, despite all her problems, is at least smart, competent, and knows how government works. The same cannot be said for Trump, who seems to lack even a basic understanding of our most fundamental governmental & social institutions. It's been a truly crazy ride- an election season that is unlike anything most people have seen in their lifetimes. Hopefully, it turns out to be an anomaly and doesn't prove to be the new norm.
We are coming up on the third & final US Presidential debate, and this election season has been a real shitshow.
Despite Hillary Clinton being a deeply flawed candidate, the pure insanity of Donald Trump's campaign is proving to be too much for all but the most diehard supporters & Hillary haters. If Trump stuck with his messages about jobs and trade, he would have a real shot. Instead, he is lashing out and tweeting his way toward what could be a significant loss. Some people still think that he is a secret Clinton plant, meant to throw the election for Hillary & rip apart the Republican party. I don't think it's really that deep- it's just the case of a spoiled narcissist & chauvinist who is finally getting scrutinized and facing the prospect of losing to a woman.
After the barrage of stories coming out regarding Trump's disposition toward grabbing, uh, women, I had the idea for this graphic before I went to sleep one night. Other people have used this phrase on graphics, but I had to do my own take on it. Like Donald around a beautiful woman, I just couldn't help myself!
Yes, I know... this graphic could also apply to Bill Clinton & his history. However, Trump is the one running for President, and he's the one I feel is the more dangerous of the two candidates. That, and the fact that he is such a fascist, thin-skinned jackass about everything makes me want to pile on & shun this guy from public life. Unfortunately, that probaboly won't happen & he'll use his base of supporters to create a media outlet or subscription TV channel of some sort. I think this campaign was ultimately a ploy to make money and to increase his profile, so we may be stuck with Donald Trump & his cult of personality for a long time.
I've posted many times about politics over the years. However, during this election season, I don't feel as connected to political news as I have in the past.
It's partially because I cancelled my cable TV subscription and don't subject myself to the relentless onslaught of meaningless chatter from the talking heads. If there's something happening that I'm interested in, I go online and find objective information about it. Then I look to see what people are saying about it. Another factor in my disillusionment is the unfortunate reality that both candidates are not choices that I feel excited about.
I'm registered as an Independent, so I don't pledge blind allegiance to any party or affiliation. I was solidly in favor of Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primary, who I've seen fighting for the citizens of this country for years. Bernie represented the highest aspirations of progressive-minded Americans, with a vision for remedying the core problems facing this nation: campaign finance, the private health care mess, and unscrupulous banking practices. At the same time as the Democrats were debating the important issues facing the country, I recognized the entire Republican field of candidates as the pathetic clown car that it was- totally void of any substance or insight into the real causes of people's everyday problems.
When Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination, I shared the lack of enthusiasm that so many others experienced. I don't think America should be in the habit of electing political family dynasties, regardless of whether they are Clintons, Bushes, Kennedy's, or any other recognizable name. Hillary also seemed like she had a lot of baggage, especially with her ties to Wall St., and was disliked by many people. At least she has extensive experience in government and has worked to make positive change on various fronts.
As much as I personally despise Donald Trump and everything he represents, I was actually rooting for him during the GOP primaries. All the other candidates were absolutely friggin' horrible, and at least Trump was exposing the absurdity in the whole political process. I felt a guilty sense of entertainment at watching Trumpzilla stomp across the landscape of the conservative establishment and tearing the party to shreds.
I was thinking, as bad as Hillary may seem, nobody would really vote for such a vile and dangerous ignoramus like The Donald... right? The guy is a con-man, a self-promoting charlatan. He cheats small businesses, has the mentality of a toddler, rips off the public in numerous ways, possesses a poor understanding of even the basic political issues, has a fascist and hateful disposition, and is just a complete asshole. There's NO WAY he can be President... RIGHT?!?!?!
Well, I began to be disturbed by the many people who were saying they supported Trump and planned to vote for him. I can understand not wanting to vote for Hillary, but everything that's wrong with her is exponentially worse with Trump. All the things Trump fans accuse Hillary of embodying- lying, incompetence, greed, lust for personal power, indifference to the country's problems, etc.,- all these things are fully manifested and completely unfettered in Donald Trump. However, people are under the delusion that Obama has destroyed this country, we can build a wall around Mexico to keep out scary illegals, and that the U.S. Government should really be run like a for-profit business. Trump feeds this fear and ignorance by talking about the United States like it's a dangerous & poverty-stricken shithole from coast to coast.
Trump is a shitty human being, and a shittier businessman. However, people somehow still like the guy and think his shady business experience qualifies him to be President. Despite having a pretty strong revulsion toward him, I tried to keep an open mind going into this first Presidential debate.
Despite making a legitimate argument against NAFTA and other trade deals early on in the debate, Trump quickly devolved into the cartoonish cretin that everyone with a minimum of common sense knew him to be.
I watched in disbelief as the things spewing out of his mouth defied facts, logic, and elementary school grammar. I had prepared for the debate by dulling my nerves with a large whisky on the rocks, and indulged in a couple additional beers to make it to the end without losing my mind. How Hillary generally maintained her composure in the presence of such lunacy is extraordinary.
I'm not going to get into the minutia of the debate, there have already been countless posts & articles analyzing every aspect. It was hard to appreciate in real time, but Sec. Clinton repeatedly goaded him into subtle confrontational traps. Trump, in his sheer ignorance & arrogance, stepped into them everytime, while flailing around with no idea he was ripping his own limbs off.
I couldn't believe the horrible, stupid fucking things he was saying:
Yeah, he ripped off small business contractors & didn't pay them... He's smart because he doesn't pay taxes like a normal citizen... Everyone agrees Rosie O'Donell deserved getting called a fat pig... We can blow an Iranian ship out of the water & it won't start a war... Stop & frisk policies are constitutionally sound... He never said the Chinese invented global warming (he did)... and on and on and on...
There were many, so many, ridiculous quotes that made me go "WTF?!?!" but my favorite had to be:
"I don't know if we know it was Russia who broke into the DNC, [Clinton is] saying Russia, Russia, Russia. Maybe it was. It could also be China, it could be someone sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds."
This remark had everyone in the room absolutely dying from laughter. It was unbelievably silly and over-the-top, even for Donald.
The more I watched Trump speak, the more I felt like it had to be some kind of disturbing hallucination. This couldn't be real. Every time he closed his eyes, he looked like a strange, pouting creature with three mouths on his face. Luckily, I'm not the only one who thought this, and of course the Internet had produced images illustrating this weird perception:
In the past, I've been flabbergasted when the mainstream media pundits declared George W. Bush or Mitt Romney successful in their debates, no matter how bad they performed. Therefore, when I saw that pretty much everyone who didn't have their head up their own ass (including conservatives!) said that Hillary trounced The Donald, I knew that it wasn't just me who saw Trump as a loser of epic proportions. As Donald himself would say... "Sad!"
Despite the stark contrast in the two candidates, I don't think the debate changed the minds of any firm supporters of either side. Democrats backing Clinton would never vote for someone who is clearly more dangerous, unqualified, and unhinged. If you are already a diehard Trump supporter, you are likely impervious to all the facts and reason that show what a disaster he would be. The funny thing is, he doesn't give a crap about his supporters or anyone else. All Trump cares about is the Trump™ brand and his own wealth and power. He is the very ugliest aspects of the ego, personified.
If you were an "undecided" voter beforehand, though, I can't see how Trump's pathetic showing would inspire any confidence whatsoever. Especially next to Hillary Clinton's relatively calm demeanor & competent grasp of the issues, the only way he could have looked less Presidential would be if he flung his own poo at the moderator.
It ain't over until it's over, though. There are two debates left, and I guess some unthinkable turn of events could take place. The world will keep watching and hoping that the joke of a Trump Administration doesn't become a seriously disturbing reality.
