A mural by Australian artist Scott Marsh is seen on a wall at the Botany View Hotel on November 11, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. The mural by Australian graffiti artist Scott Marsh was inspired by comments made by CNN reporter Anderson Cooper over Donald Trump's reaction to the U.S. election results and the current U.S President's refusal to concede to Joe Biden. (Photo: Jenny Evans/Getty Images)
Feel Uneasy. Feel Very Uneasy
Are we simply just stuck in the middle seat between a lunatic (Trump) and scumbag (McConnell) on an insane airplane ride.... or is it something much more sinister?
It's hard to rest assured. And that unease stems in no small part from the fact that it's almost impossible to ascertain Trump's true motivation ... at least, not with any certainty.
Is this just about a sadly insecure narcissist who cannot accept defeat? Are the sycophants and lawyers just placating his fragile ego? Are the Republicans simply going through the motions to avoid disturbing the sleeping dog of Trump's Twitter feed until he finally flees to Mar-a-Lago?
If so, is this cowardly clusterfuck really just about the GOP wanting to keep Trump's base from turning on them? Is it mostly about McConnell wanting Trump to keep them frothing at the mouth until Georgia's special election, so he can keep his iron grip on the throat of American politics?
Or is this about Trump's need for a second act? To wit, perhaps this is not just about grifting funds for his campaign's outstanding debt, but also about Trump positioning himself and his lucrative audience for the paydays he's gonna need to service that $900m debt he owes to a roster of shadowy creditors. If so, is this just Trump University writ large?
Frankly, if he and his GOP enablers are dragging us all through this embarrassing, messy divorce for any of those reason... or even for a combo of 'em... it would almost be reassuring. In fact, it would be understandable and, in the case of Trump, reflective of his limits as a human being ... as a pathetic man who is impaired by the gravity of his own shortcomings. It means he simply cannot help himself. And, therefore, we are just stuck in the middle seat between a lunatic (Trump) and scumbag (McConnell)... but the flight will end, and the plane will land, and we will make our connection to the next flight. We just have to be patient.
However... if none of those scenarios are the true motivation... but only ancillary benefits of Trump's conscious, devious plan to convince Americans that the Earth is flat, that up is down, and, therefore, to set the predicate for a move to usurp the will of the people as expressed in an historic election... and if the GOP is not just playing along until he does, but, instead, actively participating in a de facto coup... then the angst and agita we are all feeling right now is not nearly reflective enough of the dire moment we find ourselves in as a nation and a people.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just two days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
It's hard to rest assured. And that unease stems in no small part from the fact that it's almost impossible to ascertain Trump's true motivation ... at least, not with any certainty.
Is this just about a sadly insecure narcissist who cannot accept defeat? Are the sycophants and lawyers just placating his fragile ego? Are the Republicans simply going through the motions to avoid disturbing the sleeping dog of Trump's Twitter feed until he finally flees to Mar-a-Lago?
If so, is this cowardly clusterfuck really just about the GOP wanting to keep Trump's base from turning on them? Is it mostly about McConnell wanting Trump to keep them frothing at the mouth until Georgia's special election, so he can keep his iron grip on the throat of American politics?
Or is this about Trump's need for a second act? To wit, perhaps this is not just about grifting funds for his campaign's outstanding debt, but also about Trump positioning himself and his lucrative audience for the paydays he's gonna need to service that $900m debt he owes to a roster of shadowy creditors. If so, is this just Trump University writ large?
Frankly, if he and his GOP enablers are dragging us all through this embarrassing, messy divorce for any of those reason... or even for a combo of 'em... it would almost be reassuring. In fact, it would be understandable and, in the case of Trump, reflective of his limits as a human being ... as a pathetic man who is impaired by the gravity of his own shortcomings. It means he simply cannot help himself. And, therefore, we are just stuck in the middle seat between a lunatic (Trump) and scumbag (McConnell)... but the flight will end, and the plane will land, and we will make our connection to the next flight. We just have to be patient.
However... if none of those scenarios are the true motivation... but only ancillary benefits of Trump's conscious, devious plan to convince Americans that the Earth is flat, that up is down, and, therefore, to set the predicate for a move to usurp the will of the people as expressed in an historic election... and if the GOP is not just playing along until he does, but, instead, actively participating in a de facto coup... then the angst and agita we are all feeling right now is not nearly reflective enough of the dire moment we find ourselves in as a nation and a people.
It's hard to rest assured. And that unease stems in no small part from the fact that it's almost impossible to ascertain Trump's true motivation ... at least, not with any certainty.
Is this just about a sadly insecure narcissist who cannot accept defeat? Are the sycophants and lawyers just placating his fragile ego? Are the Republicans simply going through the motions to avoid disturbing the sleeping dog of Trump's Twitter feed until he finally flees to Mar-a-Lago?
If so, is this cowardly clusterfuck really just about the GOP wanting to keep Trump's base from turning on them? Is it mostly about McConnell wanting Trump to keep them frothing at the mouth until Georgia's special election, so he can keep his iron grip on the throat of American politics?
Or is this about Trump's need for a second act? To wit, perhaps this is not just about grifting funds for his campaign's outstanding debt, but also about Trump positioning himself and his lucrative audience for the paydays he's gonna need to service that $900m debt he owes to a roster of shadowy creditors. If so, is this just Trump University writ large?
Frankly, if he and his GOP enablers are dragging us all through this embarrassing, messy divorce for any of those reason... or even for a combo of 'em... it would almost be reassuring. In fact, it would be understandable and, in the case of Trump, reflective of his limits as a human being ... as a pathetic man who is impaired by the gravity of his own shortcomings. It means he simply cannot help himself. And, therefore, we are just stuck in the middle seat between a lunatic (Trump) and scumbag (McConnell)... but the flight will end, and the plane will land, and we will make our connection to the next flight. We just have to be patient.
However... if none of those scenarios are the true motivation... but only ancillary benefits of Trump's conscious, devious plan to convince Americans that the Earth is flat, that up is down, and, therefore, to set the predicate for a move to usurp the will of the people as expressed in an historic election... and if the GOP is not just playing along until he does, but, instead, actively participating in a de facto coup... then the angst and agita we are all feeling right now is not nearly reflective enough of the dire moment we find ourselves in as a nation and a people.