Three Possibilities

There are three possibilities for a post-Trump America.
1) A quick democratic recovery. Trump either loses enough support, is not reelected, or more dramatically, is impeached or resigns. Democrats are energized and sweep back into power. Republicans pay a heavy price for their flirtation with Trump. America's reputation in the world is restored and the Trump interlude is seen as a tragic mistake where catastrophe was avoided and democracy saved.
2) Trump and the Republicans continue to win with their white supremacy appeal. The country moves forward with large-scale deportation, immigration restrictions, the purging of voter rolls, and the adoption of ever stricter voter-ID laws. White majority and eventually only white plurality rules and crushes any opposition.
3) The more likely scenario is more polarization, increasing institutional warfare, the curtailing of democratic norms, democracy without solid guardrails. Polarization and division in the country is accepted as "simply the way it is" with no immediate end in sight. Government shutdowns will seem normal and blind allegiance to Trumpism continues as Democrats flail away.

Taken from "How Democracies Die" by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.

Now what, Trump?

In this sense, Trump’s brief political career is a culmination of his business methods. There is an old saying that you can shear a sheep many times, but you can skin it only once. Trump proved that, in fact, you can make a livelihood skinning sheep, as long as you keep courting new sheep. He stiffed subcontractors and lenders only to find new ones, ripped off some investors but then successfully courted less-scrupulous ones, and exploited his biggest fans with scams like Trump University and Trump vitamins. But since winning the presidency, he has nowhere left to go. He is doing the same things he did as a tabloid tycoon — spraying wild lies, obsessing about his media coverage, threatening to ruin his enemies — but has run out of sheep. Now what?
-Jonathan Chait

Trump's Brain

I'd like to know what goes thru this man's head each day, but I don't watch Fox and Friends and I'm not privy to General Kelly. This is where his brain seems to be. If you know these things you should know what is in his head. We have a POTUS who gets his marching orders from his TV shows. On the other hand, I best stay clear of this cesspool.

Lynne Cheney - James Madison - (Book Review)

I debated reading this book.  After all, the author is the wife of Dick Cheney.  The book does not list Cheney's credentials for writing this book.  Since this biography seems to have received pretty good reviews, I read it as a brief overview of the life of James Madison.

It's a pretty good book, dry with few conclusions, but acceptable.

The author speculates continually on Madison's health.  Was he an epileptic?  There is evidence to indicate that he was.  In any event, he had health issues all of his life even though he lived into his 80's.

Cheney plays up Madison's struggles against organized religion.  His exposure to the Scottish enlightenment certainly had its effects.

She plays up Madison and Jefferson forming the original Republican Party but she falls short of giving proper credit to the Federalists, who deserve the credit for getting the country off to a strong start.

She makes reference to the "Revolution of 1800" when Jefferson was elected on the 36th ballots in the House of Representatives.  I still do not understand this change of power from the Federalists to the Jefferson/Madison and their so-called Republicans.

Madison lived a life of personal profligacy like Jefferson.  He never freed his slaves.  Dolley had financial problems the rest of her life also.

James Madison is eternally interesting to me.

Orwell or Huxley?

Who best describes our current situation, Orwell or Huxley? Both have things to say to us.
In Orwell's vision, we are crushed by oppression imposed by others. In Huxley's vision, we are seduced, sedated, and satiated. We enslave ourselves.
Orwell feared those who would ban books. Huxley didn't fear book banners because no one would desire to read anymore. (Like Mr. Trump)
Orwell feared our being deprived of information. Huxley feared our being so inundated by information that we would be reduced to passivity and egotism: ignorance in the midst of information overload.
Orwell: the truth will be hidden from us. Huxley: the truth will be drowned in a sea of irrelevance.
Orwell: we will become a captive of culture. Huxley: we will become part of a trivial culture.
Orwell: we will be controlled by inflicting pain. Huxley: we will be controlled by inflicting pleasure.
It seems to me we live in mostly Huxley's world, but don't forget about Orwell.
(Derived from "The Trouble with Reality" by Brooke Gladstone)

The End of Time

While at Salvatore's in Hoover for lunch I overheard a man walking out of the restaurant saying something about "the end of time."  
As he walked by I asked him, "Couldn't help but overhearing: is today the end of time?"
He laughed and responded, "No, day after tomorrow."
"Thank goodness," I say as I let out a sigh of relief. "I'll have time to let everybody know on Facebook and I won't have to rake my leaves this year."
We both laugh.  
You all have been warned.

Supporting Trump

Who's left supporting Trump?  Shame on all of you!