The laws of the universe “what goes around comes back to you”. This administration of corruption is modeled after the movie titled “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely “. The end result does not bode well for power hungry people. I believe there is more good in the world than evil and that the good will win out. We must be a united front and stand together to preserve what we’ve worked so hard for to live in a free society where no one is above the law.
Thanks for engaging, Peggy. I’m with you: corruption eventually boomerangs. And yes—the old line is Lord Acton’s, not a movie: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It’s the perfect frame for what we’re living through: a government culture that keeps testing whether loyalty can outrun the law.
I also share your optimism. There is more good than evil, but it only wins if we act like it—by insisting on accountability, linking arms across differences, and protecting a system where no one is above the rules. That unity is how we keep the country free and keep the power-hungry in check. Appreciate you being here and adding your voice.
Cheeto Is Becoming the 21st Century Neville Chamberlain
Neville Chamberlain the right wing prime minister of England infamously made an appeasement deal with Hitler in September 1938 ceding the Sudentenland of Czechslovakia to Germany hoping that it would stop the madman dictator from invading other countries But one year later in September 1939 Hitler invaded Poland and was the beginning of WWII
Now Cheeto hoping for a Nobel Peace Prize is trying to negotiate with another Hitler, this time in the form of Putin in Alaska this Friday offering land swaps, maybe some kind of a mineral deal, all at a time when the fatigued war torn country they are talking about has no seat at the table The difference is that Cheeto, the man who wants to Neville, is so much more flawed than his predecessor Cheeto will not only bankrupt the country but with his “Putin mistake” give Russia permission to begin an eventual European invasion, testing article 5 of the NATO agreement
History doesn’t repeat itself but it certainly rhymes
Dr. Bill, I hear you. The Chamberlain parallel isn’t about copy-pasting 1938—it’s about the same appeasement logic: trade away someone else’s land and security to “end” a problem you don’t want to confront. When that “deal” is struck without the victim at the table, it isn’t diplomacy—it’s capitulation dressed up for a press conference and a prize.
The Nobel-bait theater around brokering something with Putin—whether it’s land swaps, a mineral carve-out, or sanctions relief—creates exactly the moral hazard you’re warning about: reward the aggressor, punish the target, and tell every other autocrat that borders are negotiable. That’s how you weaken NATO’s core deterrent and tempt a test of Article 5 down the line.
And you’re right about the domestic cost: this stuff doesn’t just bankrupt credibility abroad, it drains us at home—economically and morally—because it replaces a rules-based order with the whims of one man’s ego.
History doesn’t repeat, but the rhyme scheme is loud. Thanks for laying it out so clearly and for engaging.
Great article. Can you hear the cartoon rattle sound in my head when I’m trying to make sense of any of this? I’m back to cartoons today because I’m too old to play video games 🎮
Thanks for reading, Sharon. I hear that cartoon rattle too—half the news cycle feels like Looney Tunes with subpoenas. Cartoons are a perfectly valid coping strategy; honestly, they make more sense than most Sunday shows. Appreciate you being here.
Thank you so much, Lynn. I really appreciate you reading and saying that—the goal was to put words to what has all of us shaking our heads. Your support means a lot.
Kristoffer Ealy's post was good, but didn't go quite far enough. I, too, grew up around evangelicals. Southern Baptists used to be 'respectable'. Your dentist and the owner of the hardware store were probably SB's. They used to look a little askance at the 'snake handlers' of the backwoods evangelicals. But their faith carried the same potential for mental rot as the rest, and they have now succumbed to the temptation of Not Thinking.
People will devote a lot of effort and spend a lot of money Not Thinking. It's easier. When it becomes self-reinforcing, it becomes irresistible to simply throw faith up as a shield wall and shut cognition down. For the good of the tribe and the Glory Of God, doncha know.
I hold them in contempt. But I also recognize that all this shit is hard-wired in the human psyche. It's so strong, there may even be a component of epigenetics, but I'm not educated enough in it to take that idea further.
Either way, the most straightforward prognosis on the human condition is that we are well and thoroughly fucked.
Thanks for engaging, George. This particular article was focused on the rhetorical tricks the right plays on themselves to pretend Trump isn’t the scum that he is. I wanted to stay anchored to that main point, and part of backing it up meant actually using some of the Bible stories they cling to most—but without straying too far from the larger theme: the grift of defending Trump at all costs.
I grew up in the Assemblies of God church, and from my experience, it was every bit as Looney Tunes as the Southern Baptist world you describe. I’d often attend those Baptist services with relatives and saw the same strain of performative piety and “Not Thinking” that you laid out. In the book I’m writing, I have an entire chapter devoted to religion and faith-based manipulation, so if you’re looking for a more detailed account, that’s where I’ll really dig into it.
You’re right about the respectability politics of the old Southern Baptist image—and how quickly it’s collapsed into the same anti-intellectualism they used to look down on in others. The way “Not Thinking” becomes self-reinforcing, turning faith into a shield to block any inconvenient reality, is exactly why the movement is so resistant to change. And I agree—some of this feels hardwired, even with possible epigenetic layers we haven’t fully explored.
trump and republicans try to claime the law and order mantle while coddling sexual predators, sex traffickers, pedophiles, and they elected a man held liable for sexual assault. GOP and maga doesn't care about the victims of rape, sexual abuse, .and pedophilia. In fact their new 2026 slogan is Jail the Innocent and Protect the Sexual Predator. KKKristian nationalists are promoting child labor and soon they will pass laws making incest, rape and pedophilia a simple misdemeanor punishable with mandatory trump bible study at home. It's amazing how trump, maga and republicans NEVER mention the victims of thise ghastly abuse. That alone should be a crime, but no shame among the shameless.. That might sound over the top, but who thought trump would round up US citizens and send them to concentration camps in other countries? And who thought vaccines, which have saved many millions of lives, would become the enemy of the unenlightened maga fool? These grotesque freaks are just getting started. The worst is yet to come.
MPT, I’m with you. The “law and order” crowd keeps shielding predators, elevating a man found liable for sexual assault, and never centering the actual victims. The Christian-nationalist push to roll back child-labor protections and turn science into heresy is exactly how you drag a country backward—and you’re right, they’re already testing the boundaries on detention, censorship, and rewriting what counts as harm. Even vaccines—literal life-savers—get cast as the enemy because it suits the grievance machine.
I’m actually working on a piece right now about the one accidental saving grace here: the GOP’s allergy to critical thinking. They keep face-planting on basic logic—projection, circular reasoning, motivated denial—which makes their schemes brittle. When your “platform” depends on hypocrisy and vibes, it can’t survive scrutiny. That crack is where we pry.
Thanks for reading and for saying it plainly. Stay tuned.
I sometimes wish I could be a little more flowery, nuanced in my commentary and writing, but when ot comes to republicans and their devious nature and embrace of the most repulsive actions against children, my presentation is more direct. I think og maga as molesters attacking girls adolescents, make attacking girls acceptable. Or GOP as gang of predators.
I appreciate your writing because it is so clearly and well presented with facts and honest takes on the dangers to democracy, the rule of law and the constitution. I look forward to reading your next piece. Tyranny of the minority can last only as long as people are blinded by shiny objects, invented fears, and trump's beer and circus model of governing. The price of learning their lesson will be steep but hopefully leads to better outcomes for us all.
You wrote: "That’s not a mic drop. That’s a moral faceplant. If you know it’s wrong and you still defend it because your side is the one doing it, congratulations — you’ve officially made hypocrisy a platform plank." Awesome sauce. Loved the logical fallacies, too. It keeps coming up for me that the most obvious weak link and cabal of moral villains in our country right now are the Republican members of the House and Senate. Their failure to do their job of checking the most disgusting, ignorant and morally repugnant POTUS in history will not be forgotten. Please, do a piece on Famous Cowards in History so we can start viewing them within the proper context.
As for doing a piece on “Famous Cowards,” most of my work is already about famous cowards. But maybe I should do one that’s more historical—dig into the long tradition of people who sold out their principles (and sometimes their countries) to protect power or save face. Could be a fun mix of political rogues, corporate sellouts, and historical backstabbers.
Booyah! Don't forget bankers and Benedict Arnold types--who really wanted to boost themselves into some self-identified safe haven of privilege rather than to save face. Could be a large cohort, there. Jeff Bezos in our time?
Thanks for reading, Leigh, and for quoting that “moral faceplant” line back to me. It means a lot when a reader zeroes in on the exact tone I was going for. You’re absolutely right—what makes this even more absurd is that these folks wouldn’t tolerate this kind of behavior from their own friends, much less from Democrats. Yet when it’s Trump, suddenly the moral bar disappears.
This whole piece actually came out of a ridiculous argument I had online with someone defending Trump’s hush money payments. He told me, “Well, all politicians pay people off sometimes, that’s just politics.” I pointed out that not only is that not true, but in Trump’s case it was to hide potential election-altering information from voters. So I said, “Wait—are you telling me hypocrisy is actually a platform plank now?” His response? “You can call it what you want, but you’ve got Trump Derangement Syndrome.” That was the moment it hit me—hypocrisy isn’t just tolerated in MAGA world, it’s institutionalized. That exchange was the seed that grew into this piece.
When Trumpism comes for them and for their families as it surely will, redhats are going to turn on their elected folks..to blame them for losing Medicaid and SNAP, for not properly educating their spawn, for shutting down the businesses that are their livelihood, and for allowing them to die because they’ve turned our remarkable medical position into the dark ages. At that point, “Gethsemane in a red tie”:will become Nuremburg in a red,white, and blue one.
I agree with you, CE. When the fallout of Trumpism hits home—whether it’s losing healthcare, watching local businesses shutter, or seeing our scientific progress dragged backwards—the very people who cheered it on will be looking for someone else to blame. And you’re right, history shows how quickly scapegoating turns ugly. Thanks for reading and adding such a powerful perspective.
Thanks for reading, Maxine, and for your continued support. You’re right—“orbit” really is the perfect way to describe how these folks move around Trump, always circling and defending no matter what he does. I’m glad that point resonated with you.
The laws of the universe “what goes around comes back to you”. This administration of corruption is modeled after the movie titled “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely “. The end result does not bode well for power hungry people. I believe there is more good in the world than evil and that the good will win out. We must be a united front and stand together to preserve what we’ve worked so hard for to live in a free society where no one is above the law.
Thanks for engaging, Peggy. I’m with you: corruption eventually boomerangs. And yes—the old line is Lord Acton’s, not a movie: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It’s the perfect frame for what we’re living through: a government culture that keeps testing whether loyalty can outrun the law.
I also share your optimism. There is more good than evil, but it only wins if we act like it—by insisting on accountability, linking arms across differences, and protecting a system where no one is above the rules. That unity is how we keep the country free and keep the power-hungry in check. Appreciate you being here and adding your voice.
Cheeto Is Becoming the 21st Century Neville Chamberlain
Neville Chamberlain the right wing prime minister of England infamously made an appeasement deal with Hitler in September 1938 ceding the Sudentenland of Czechslovakia to Germany hoping that it would stop the madman dictator from invading other countries But one year later in September 1939 Hitler invaded Poland and was the beginning of WWII
Now Cheeto hoping for a Nobel Peace Prize is trying to negotiate with another Hitler, this time in the form of Putin in Alaska this Friday offering land swaps, maybe some kind of a mineral deal, all at a time when the fatigued war torn country they are talking about has no seat at the table The difference is that Cheeto, the man who wants to Neville, is so much more flawed than his predecessor Cheeto will not only bankrupt the country but with his “Putin mistake” give Russia permission to begin an eventual European invasion, testing article 5 of the NATO agreement
History doesn’t repeat itself but it certainly rhymes
Dr. Bill, I hear you. The Chamberlain parallel isn’t about copy-pasting 1938—it’s about the same appeasement logic: trade away someone else’s land and security to “end” a problem you don’t want to confront. When that “deal” is struck without the victim at the table, it isn’t diplomacy—it’s capitulation dressed up for a press conference and a prize.
The Nobel-bait theater around brokering something with Putin—whether it’s land swaps, a mineral carve-out, or sanctions relief—creates exactly the moral hazard you’re warning about: reward the aggressor, punish the target, and tell every other autocrat that borders are negotiable. That’s how you weaken NATO’s core deterrent and tempt a test of Article 5 down the line.
And you’re right about the domestic cost: this stuff doesn’t just bankrupt credibility abroad, it drains us at home—economically and morally—because it replaces a rules-based order with the whims of one man’s ego.
History doesn’t repeat, but the rhyme scheme is loud. Thanks for laying it out so clearly and for engaging.
thanks Kristoffer
Truth to power, Kristoffer.
Right on ✊🏿
Great article. Can you hear the cartoon rattle sound in my head when I’m trying to make sense of any of this? I’m back to cartoons today because I’m too old to play video games 🎮
Thanks for reading, Sharon. I hear that cartoon rattle too—half the news cycle feels like Looney Tunes with subpoenas. Cartoons are a perfectly valid coping strategy; honestly, they make more sense than most Sunday shows. Appreciate you being here.
Wow! Such a powerful article. All I can do is shake my head . Thank you for writing this article. You have said everything so masterfully.
Thank you so much, Lynn. I really appreciate you reading and saying that—the goal was to put words to what has all of us shaking our heads. Your support means a lot.
You’re welcome Kristoffer!
Kristoffer Ealy's post was good, but didn't go quite far enough. I, too, grew up around evangelicals. Southern Baptists used to be 'respectable'. Your dentist and the owner of the hardware store were probably SB's. They used to look a little askance at the 'snake handlers' of the backwoods evangelicals. But their faith carried the same potential for mental rot as the rest, and they have now succumbed to the temptation of Not Thinking.
People will devote a lot of effort and spend a lot of money Not Thinking. It's easier. When it becomes self-reinforcing, it becomes irresistible to simply throw faith up as a shield wall and shut cognition down. For the good of the tribe and the Glory Of God, doncha know.
I hold them in contempt. But I also recognize that all this shit is hard-wired in the human psyche. It's so strong, there may even be a component of epigenetics, but I'm not educated enough in it to take that idea further.
Either way, the most straightforward prognosis on the human condition is that we are well and thoroughly fucked.
Thanks for engaging, George. This particular article was focused on the rhetorical tricks the right plays on themselves to pretend Trump isn’t the scum that he is. I wanted to stay anchored to that main point, and part of backing it up meant actually using some of the Bible stories they cling to most—but without straying too far from the larger theme: the grift of defending Trump at all costs.
I grew up in the Assemblies of God church, and from my experience, it was every bit as Looney Tunes as the Southern Baptist world you describe. I’d often attend those Baptist services with relatives and saw the same strain of performative piety and “Not Thinking” that you laid out. In the book I’m writing, I have an entire chapter devoted to religion and faith-based manipulation, so if you’re looking for a more detailed account, that’s where I’ll really dig into it.
You’re right about the respectability politics of the old Southern Baptist image—and how quickly it’s collapsed into the same anti-intellectualism they used to look down on in others. The way “Not Thinking” becomes self-reinforcing, turning faith into a shield to block any inconvenient reality, is exactly why the movement is so resistant to change. And I agree—some of this feels hardwired, even with possible epigenetic layers we haven’t fully explored.
trump and republicans try to claime the law and order mantle while coddling sexual predators, sex traffickers, pedophiles, and they elected a man held liable for sexual assault. GOP and maga doesn't care about the victims of rape, sexual abuse, .and pedophilia. In fact their new 2026 slogan is Jail the Innocent and Protect the Sexual Predator. KKKristian nationalists are promoting child labor and soon they will pass laws making incest, rape and pedophilia a simple misdemeanor punishable with mandatory trump bible study at home. It's amazing how trump, maga and republicans NEVER mention the victims of thise ghastly abuse. That alone should be a crime, but no shame among the shameless.. That might sound over the top, but who thought trump would round up US citizens and send them to concentration camps in other countries? And who thought vaccines, which have saved many millions of lives, would become the enemy of the unenlightened maga fool? These grotesque freaks are just getting started. The worst is yet to come.
MPT, I’m with you. The “law and order” crowd keeps shielding predators, elevating a man found liable for sexual assault, and never centering the actual victims. The Christian-nationalist push to roll back child-labor protections and turn science into heresy is exactly how you drag a country backward—and you’re right, they’re already testing the boundaries on detention, censorship, and rewriting what counts as harm. Even vaccines—literal life-savers—get cast as the enemy because it suits the grievance machine.
I’m actually working on a piece right now about the one accidental saving grace here: the GOP’s allergy to critical thinking. They keep face-planting on basic logic—projection, circular reasoning, motivated denial—which makes their schemes brittle. When your “platform” depends on hypocrisy and vibes, it can’t survive scrutiny. That crack is where we pry.
Thanks for reading and for saying it plainly. Stay tuned.
I sometimes wish I could be a little more flowery, nuanced in my commentary and writing, but when ot comes to republicans and their devious nature and embrace of the most repulsive actions against children, my presentation is more direct. I think og maga as molesters attacking girls adolescents, make attacking girls acceptable. Or GOP as gang of predators.
I appreciate your writing because it is so clearly and well presented with facts and honest takes on the dangers to democracy, the rule of law and the constitution. I look forward to reading your next piece. Tyranny of the minority can last only as long as people are blinded by shiny objects, invented fears, and trump's beer and circus model of governing. The price of learning their lesson will be steep but hopefully leads to better outcomes for us all.
You wrote: "That’s not a mic drop. That’s a moral faceplant. If you know it’s wrong and you still defend it because your side is the one doing it, congratulations — you’ve officially made hypocrisy a platform plank." Awesome sauce. Loved the logical fallacies, too. It keeps coming up for me that the most obvious weak link and cabal of moral villains in our country right now are the Republican members of the House and Senate. Their failure to do their job of checking the most disgusting, ignorant and morally repugnant POTUS in history will not be forgotten. Please, do a piece on Famous Cowards in History so we can start viewing them within the proper context.
As for doing a piece on “Famous Cowards,” most of my work is already about famous cowards. But maybe I should do one that’s more historical—dig into the long tradition of people who sold out their principles (and sometimes their countries) to protect power or save face. Could be a fun mix of political rogues, corporate sellouts, and historical backstabbers.
Booyah! Don't forget bankers and Benedict Arnold types--who really wanted to boost themselves into some self-identified safe haven of privilege rather than to save face. Could be a large cohort, there. Jeff Bezos in our time?
Thanks for reading, Leigh, and for quoting that “moral faceplant” line back to me. It means a lot when a reader zeroes in on the exact tone I was going for. You’re absolutely right—what makes this even more absurd is that these folks wouldn’t tolerate this kind of behavior from their own friends, much less from Democrats. Yet when it’s Trump, suddenly the moral bar disappears.
This whole piece actually came out of a ridiculous argument I had online with someone defending Trump’s hush money payments. He told me, “Well, all politicians pay people off sometimes, that’s just politics.” I pointed out that not only is that not true, but in Trump’s case it was to hide potential election-altering information from voters. So I said, “Wait—are you telling me hypocrisy is actually a platform plank now?” His response? “You can call it what you want, but you’ve got Trump Derangement Syndrome.” That was the moment it hit me—hypocrisy isn’t just tolerated in MAGA world, it’s institutionalized. That exchange was the seed that grew into this piece.
It is time to beat the cost of eggs again. Epstein and Eggs is trumps nemesis!
Thanks for reading, Pete. And yeah, at this point, “Epstein and Eggs” sounds like the only buddy cop duo Trump wouldn’t put on the payroll.
Why would anybody have Nancy Mace on tv? ABC that's who!
Thanks for reading, Deb. ABC really does love to hand Nancy Mace a microphone, no matter how little sense she makes once she’s holding it.
When Trumpism comes for them and for their families as it surely will, redhats are going to turn on their elected folks..to blame them for losing Medicaid and SNAP, for not properly educating their spawn, for shutting down the businesses that are their livelihood, and for allowing them to die because they’ve turned our remarkable medical position into the dark ages. At that point, “Gethsemane in a red tie”:will become Nuremburg in a red,white, and blue one.
I agree with you, CE. When the fallout of Trumpism hits home—whether it’s losing healthcare, watching local businesses shutter, or seeing our scientific progress dragged backwards—the very people who cheered it on will be looking for someone else to blame. And you’re right, history shows how quickly scapegoating turns ugly. Thanks for reading and adding such a powerful perspective.
Yes, they do orbit. Good way to explain it. Very good article, Kristoffer. Thanks
Thanks for reading, Maxine, and for your continued support. You’re right—“orbit” really is the perfect way to describe how these folks move around Trump, always circling and defending no matter what he does. I’m glad that point resonated with you.
🎯🎯🎯👏👏👏
I’m sharing.
Thanks for sharing, Nina. I really appreciate you helping get the word out.
Incredibly well said and on target. Incisive and truthtelling.
Thanks so much, Nansu. Appreciate the kind words—and I’m glad the piece landed the way I intended. Your support keeps me writing.