Tag Archives: Trump

Democracy, Fascism, Trump – and Evil

by

Diana and I were back in Portland, with Lucien, Peter, Saul, and family – trying to avoid talking politics. I have been working in the Reed College Library, where so much of State Change was written more than a year ago. Lucien, Peter, and I had a lunch discussion in the Reed Student Commons.

 

“Did you see that full page ad, in today’s Times?” Peter asked.

“Not yet, go on,” I said.

“It’s by a group called refusefascism.org , arguing for a month of resistance, ‘reaching a crescendo by the Jan.20, 2017 Inauguration’.”

“Who’s behind it?”

“A few names I recognize: Cornell West, Bill Ayers, Alice Walker. It doesn’t seem to be connected with the Women’s March.”

“There’s been a lot on the web,” Lucien added, “saying don’t rationalize or give Trump the benefit of the doubt, don’t cooperate, don’t back off – protest, make noise, get involved.”

“Remember the poster on the door at Mississippi Pizza the other night?” I asked. “It defined the place as a safe house, a safe place – inclusive and welcoming all.”

“Yes, that’s going on all over Portland,” Peter added.

“And Seattle – all along the West Coast.”

“And Jerry Brown’s taken a very strong position on rights and the environment – California will ignore Federal actions against the environment and human rights.”

“The good news is Trump’s no Hitler,” I suggested. “Hitler wrote a real book, had a real philosophy, had a vision and plan – albeit demented and evil.”

“Didn’t Brooks have a good take on Trump the other day?” Lucien asked.

“Yes,” I said. “I captured his quotes – just a second.” I opened my new rose pink 2 pound MacBook and read:

“[Trump] has no experience being accountable to anybody. …His statements should probably be treated less like policy declarations and more like Snapchat. They exist to win attention at the moment, but then they disappear.”

“Hitler wasn’t accountable to anyone either – if someone got in his way, he just eliminated them,” Peter said.

“He could’ve been taken out,” I said. “I just read a book titled To Kill the Devil – on the many attempts to assassinate Hitler. He had several very close calls.”

“His death would have changed history in a very positive direction,” Peter said.

“Death is a very effective means,” I suggested, “if it’s accomplished early enough that the victim doesn’t become a martyr.”

“If the death is perceived as ‘accidental’ rather than as an assassination, then martyrdom is an unlikely outcome.”

We all nodded in agreement.

Lucien had to go to his soccer game. Peter and I walked through the Chemistry Building, looking for the box of chemical waste he deposited on the second floor now some 18 months ago. It was gone.

I went back to the library – there was work to do.

 

 

 

Treating Trump? State Change II?

by

We needed to talk. We needed self-therapy. Jay was depressed. Bill was despondent. I was in tears thinking of my granddaughters and the billions of others who would need to survive on an increasingly destroyed planet.

Diana and I were in Monterey for several weeks, escaping Salt Lake City’s cold and its winter air inversions and polluted air. Thanks, gods, for Skype.

Bill and Jay were at the Roasting Company, in a second floor secluded corner. I was in a corner of Book Works Cafe in Pacific Grove. We decided earlier to give Trump the benefit of our doubts – for a few weeks. That time was now over.

 

“It’s all over the Net now,” Bill started. “Tillerson is the international oil dealmaker par excellence – and knows Putin well. As Trump’s new Secretary of State he could lift the economic sanctions on Russia, allowing a whole new level of deals for Siberian oil.”

“And thus for creaming the planet,” Jay groaned. “… our worst fears – the worst scenario imaginable.”

“Yes, horrible for the planet – both physically and humanistically,” I added. “Cheap Siberian oil, with the backing of Russia and the USA, could flood the market, economically devastating the Middle East, Nigeria, and Canada.”

“And the Secretary of State orchestrates the whole transformation – from deals to production, sales, and economic devastation.”

“A new world order,” Bill said. “Exactly what Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bolton, and Bush wanted – but via oil rather than war.”

“Dollars for ISIS and Al Qaeda dry up. Saudi Arabia goes under – or gets transformed via a new Arab ‘Spring’ – also Iran.”

“Another Nobel Peace Prize!” Jay noted.

“Not a bad plan,” I smiled, “were it not for the death of the Planet as a side effect.”

“But as global warming isn’t really real, it isn’t a concern for climate deniers and agnostics – certainly not for Trump, Putin, or even Tillerson.”

“The melting of the tundra, the massive release of ancient trapped methane, the leaks and fires due to tundra-disrupted oil pipelines – all collateral damage on the way to a new world order, controlled by powerful white guys, of European ancestry.”

“Hitler would have loved it, assuming Germany’s chemical industry played a leading role.”

 
We looked at each other, via Skype.

 
“I’m not sure Ananda’s Chocolates are up to the task,” Bill offered. “We tried that – and many of those we treated are back, their old ideologies and prejudices intact.”

“Agreed. We have to use more effective, more permanent, means – but perhaps we can use Ananda’s approach as a ‘cover’,” I suggested. “Not MDMA; something more powerful, more effective.”

“You do mean lethal, don’t you?” Jay asked. “Assassination?”

“That’s real exorcising of evil,” Bill smiled, “but without drones.”

“And it shouldn’t be instantaneous. It should play out over several days, perhaps appear like a bad pathogen,” Jay suggested. “That way there might be publicity, incitement of fear, concern for God’s wrath, etc.”

“Diana and I saw another Sherlock Holmes video the other night, where he was apparently afflicted with Sumatran River Virus – death in three days.”

“Viral chocolates, with a little LSD thrown in – to facilitate visions, hallucinations.”

“I think we have a plan,” I concluded. “Treating Trump – Exorcizing Evil.”

 

 

Trump 2016 Election: State Change now even more important

by

The harmless team was at The Roasting Company – doing our 2016 election mourning over good coffee.

“Jesus, I’m depressed,” Bill said.

“There’s no question I am,” Jay said. “I even considered fully losing it early this morning.”

“Remember those last pages of State Change,” I cautioned. “Those who are old and ready, and those who are considering checking out, can have an especially important set of opportunities. They can go way beyond distributing Ananda’s Chocolates to our entire hit list – our 29 ideologues. Most were reelected.”

“You mean really take them out, don’t you?” Jay asked. “Or at least make them undesirable for further service.”

“Why not? All they’ll do in Congress is do more damage. They’ll make many others suffer for their distorted ideologies.”

“We could just plant some illegal drugs on them,” Bill suggested.

“That might do it. Or do – or get done – some serious investigative reporting exposing their financial connections and other shenanigans.”

“Most of them – especially Gowdy and Chaffetz – love conspiracy theories and witch hunts. We could give them a taste of their own tactics – develop some paranoid fantasies in them.”

“I thought State Change would be somewhat obsolete after this election, because Hillary would make it, we’d likely take the Senate, the Supreme Court would be modernized, and the state would begin to change,” I said.

“So much for wishful thinking,” Jay said. “There was a piece in The Guardian this morning, by Thomas Frank, …”

“The guy who wrote ‘What’s the Matter with Kansas‘, right?” Bill asked.

“Yep, and he has a new one Listen Liberal; the piece in the paper is like Liberals put Trump in the White House.”

“Ouch.”

“Anyway, State Change is even more important and valuable now that Trump will soon be thrashing around in the White House,” I said.

“My Australian and Canadian friends are incredulous,” Bill said.

“I’ve started to add overseas audiences to my Tweet destinations now, because Europe is so concerned. A major Madrid paper, El Paix, had columns today titled The Crazy is in Charge of the Asylum – and another The Suicide of Democracy.”

“It’s time to up the action,” Bill said.

“I think so,” said Jay. “I’m ready for some serious activism.”

“Let’s think this through and meet again right after Thanksgiving.”

 

 

Rubio, Trump, and Fathers’ Day – Tom’s Mass and Catholic Youth

by

Bill, Jay, and I were celebrating their identical August birthday dates at the Roasting Company – on a warm, clear but semi-dirty air day.

 

“Bill said you wrote Rubio a Father’s Day letter?” Jay asked.

“I did, and submitted it to the Miami paper and Buzzfeed. Miami Herald didn’t pick it up but it is at BuzzFeed.”

https://www.buzzfeed.com/joeandrade/rubio-running-fatherly-advice-2ezak

“What did you advise him?” Jay continued.

“Look at the BuzzFeed link. Advices number 1 – 5 are still very valid and relevant; only Advice #6  (Run, Marco, run) is now outdated – he’s running.”

“But Trump may take him down,” Bill said.

“Yes, hopefully. Patrick Murphy, currently in the House  representing Florida 18, is coming on strong.”

“If Rubio takes your advice, he might win,” Jay said.

“I hope not,” Bill added. “For all the reasons in State Change.”

“He’s unlikely to take my advice,” I said. “He’s too young, naive, arrogant – unless one of his kids sees the letter and really gets to him.”

“Or Jeanette,” Bill said.

“Yes, or Jeanette.”

We sipped our coffees and tea (Jay) silently for a few minutes.

“Did you get to Tom’s memorial Mass?” Bill asked. “I didn’t.”

“Yes, it was at St. Ambrose’s – a beautiful church with an incredible organ and sound system.”

“I thought you didn’t like organ music,” Jay said.

“Normally not, but this sound was really incredible, majestic, spiritual. The priests mentioned Tom towards the end – they recognized several people, as well as Tom. Carrie told me they’ll have a memorial – recognition – event later in the year. I’ll keep you posted.”

“And did you hear about the new Pope Francis High School – in Springfield, Mass?” Bill asked. “Two existing schools merged – the students recommended the new name. Some of the older parishioners were very critical, according to the USA Today story, today.”

“As long as the kids – the youth – get it, we may muddle through the mess created by all those adults – even Catholic youth,” Jay said.

“Why not a letter to the school paper, encouraging the kids to read State Change, and its take on Francis and the Encyclical?”

“I’m on it,” I said.

“Cheers,” Jay said. We finished our drinks, toasting Tom, Pope Francis, and Springfield’s Catholic youth.