The Late Show Must Go - Oh No!

 

Steven Colbert and the Late Show.  It's a sad thing when the "Tiffany Network" cancels a great show because of the Orange Snowflake.  Yet, the economics behind this makes sense: Paramount/CBS needs to merge with Skydance to deal with financial losses from its movie and streaming businesses, and they can't do this unless they curry favor with the snowflake.  It's cheaper to kill a profit making show and keep the business alive, than to stand on principle and tell the snowflake to F-off!  I'm not worried about Colbert.  He'll likely use the remaining months he has left on his contract to hammer away at our president, and make him rue the day that he took on a comedian. 

What I am worried about is big business's capitulation to fascist power.  In the past, we had a lot of small businesses who could (and would) stand up for principle, as they had no fiduciary duties to others.  They could run their businesses to the ground on principle, and as such, had great power.  Now, with the consolidation of corporate identities, CEOs must look out for the health of their businesses, and not worry about the principles that they as individuals may hold.  This is a shame.  But we did it to ourselves by accepting corporate consolidation as a norm.

No one has to say much about the snowflake's flaws:  He is vindictive to a San Andreas Fault.  He could teach Satan cruelty lessons.  And an Amoeba has more brain cells than he has.  I could go on and on about this, but I'd bore the readers of this blog. The other day, he posted a series of insults involving all of the late night TV show hosts, showing how much he hates what they saying about him.  Instead of taking their zingers from these court jesters with grace, he wants to shut them down - as if he's afraid they are right and he is wrong. 

There is a saying that whatever this man touches, dies.  For God's sake, I hope he stops touching America soon.  There is a joke about a man who went to the newsstand every day and looked at every newspaper's front page.  

Eventually, the newsstand owner asks:

"Why do you look at every newspaper's front page and put it back on the rack?" 

The customer replies:

"I am looking for an obituary."

The owner responds:

"Obituaries are usually inside the back of the newspapers."

The customer replies:

"This one will be on the front page."

No one needs to ask whose obituary we are talking about here.

Sadly, even a broken clock can be right twice each day, and there are some points on which I will agree with the snowflake, but not his methods for correcting things, such as we have let too much manufacturing move to China.  In case of a conflict between the US and China, we might only be able to win a short war.  But they will win a long war, as we no longer manufacture the goods we need to keep an economy running. One can't shift manufacturing back to the US overnight.  It will take decades to do so.  Supply chains must be rebuilt, and American labor must be willing to get its hands dirty again.  We no longer have the project management skills in the USA needed to manage the supply chains, the way China does.  So, why start a trade war that we can not win?

 
Recently, one Democratic congressperson was asked why GOP congresspeople hate what the snowflake is calling for them to do, and still doing it?  She answered: Fear!  Given what happened to Nancy Pelosi's husband in her own house, why should they risk their families to the actions of unruly members of his mob?

We saw this 90 years ago, and I'd hate the same thing happen to America.  If we don't stand up now, we will see history repeat itself - with the same ending.

 

The tide may be turning.

 

The more I watch the news, the more I get worried.  The other day, I spoke with one of the regular attendees of game nights and he has similar concerns to me - even though I am much more at risk than he is.  Even with my fears, I see signs that the GOP coalition that elected the snowflake may soon fall apart.

- - - - - -

Every time the Orange Snowflake makes a demand, it seems like he gets shown to be a paper tiger.  He has been shown to be a liar or an incompetent by the leaders of France, Ukraine, and now Canada.  As I write this, he is about to announce some kind of deal with the UK.  Dollars to Donuts the deal will not accomplish much more than allow the snowflake to claim some sort of success with his tariff threats.

The judicial branch of government is also putting a stop to the snowflake's excesses.  However, they have yet to force him to bring back the man who was wrongfully sent to a Salvadoran prison.  He has said that he doesn't want to make the phone call to bring this man back to the USA.  I wonder: Why?  To me, the answer is just as simple - he can't admit a defeat or that he makes mistakes.  Instead, he keeps doubling down on his bogus claims that "justify" his actions.

Look at his recent appointments, and how several nominations have been retracted in favor of someone even more loyal (and less competent) than the person s/he replaced.  Many of his appointments are only temporary, such as his "nominee" for Attorney General. Congress is feeling the heat, as the GOP members keep trying to support the snowflake's unpopular actions.  It's only a matter of time that they will turn on him, as they are creatures that depend on being reelected every so often.  The other day, my "Moderate" (yeah, right!) congress critter had a hard time controlling the people who attended a recent town hall.  (Finding out when they'd be held in advance is virtually impossible - he's afraid of the people in his district - NY-17.)  Like many people here, I can't wait to vote against him, as he supports the snowflake's anti-transgender actions.  Given that this is a swing district, I hope that the Democrats have a strong candidate to run against this example of human garbage.

On the subject of tariffs, I doubt that China will do much of anything to help the snowflake.  He overplayed his hand from the beginning, and they will not react warmly to being bullied as part of his "negotiation" process.  Soon, the first ships will come in with post-tariff goods.  Sites like Temu (which I hate for reasons unrelated to anything I've discussed in this post) will be showing how much tariffs add to the cost of each item.  As much as it will cost me, I can't wait to see how this all plays out.

Recently, Palmer Report discussed the price of Trumpism for the USA.  Sadly, after #47 is 86'd, there will be many cultural injuries which need to be dealt with. It is very easy for people to be turned against their neighbors and into shells of who they once were.  I can see that tendency in myself, and have to resist letting the anger the snowflake generates take over my soul.  Hopefully, I will be able to retain most of my humanity when this sorry state of affairs ends.

- - - - - -

Years ago, someone came up with what is called the "Chinese Curse":

May you live in interesting times.

Please start boring me to death soon.  I need a rest from all of this.

 

It'll have been 11 days so far....

 

By the time you read this, the Orange Snowflake will have been in office for 11 days.  I have my worries about this man and his worsening dementia, and the people who support him without question.  Will some people keep him in check?  Or, will he go F'ing nuts when power is restored to him?  Only time will tell.

Right now, people like Sarah McBride are biding their time until they have the power to change things.  It doesn't pay for her to challenge the GOP leadership to assert her rights.  But that time will come.  The GOP will eventually lose control of government, as they have done in the past.  For those of us who can blend in, my advice is to do so - but to be honest about who you are if anyone asks.  This might not be a viable option for many deep in a red state.  But it has always worked for me in the Hudson Valley and elsewhere.

The Orange Snowflake knows nothing about how tariffs work, nor does he have a firm grasp on anything essential to the running of government, save to put "Yes Men" with major flaws in positions of power.  He can not afford to have anyone challenge him - especially with the 25th amendment in mind. When confronted by one friendly reported on who would pay the tariffs he proposes, he acts like China (and other countries) would pay to sell their goods here without affecting the purchasing price paid by the American consumer.  The problem here is that he wants to use a machete when a surgeon's scalpel is called for.  Do we need high tariffs on European goods, where wages and other costs are similar to that in North America?  Yet, it would make sense to have high tariffs on Chinese goods, considering their low wages, and the use of Uighurs as slave labor. Universally low tariffs have caused the decline of American manufacturing, as it was cheaper to export jobs to nations with low wages and few worker protections.  In short, a broken clock can be right twice each day, and the Orange Snowflake's idea of tariffs shouldn't be dismissed out of hand - it should be refined by professionals, so that the right approach is used by the US.

I expect that the Justice Department to be politicized.  The Snowflake doesn't care about justice.  He wants revenge against his perceived enemies.  I'll be watching the news to see if he goes after the January 6th committee, as well as anyone who opposed him.  Most people who read this blog know that I use an alias when communicating with the Transgender community.  This doesn't mean that I can't be found if someone wants to go after me.  Instead, it slows down any potential attack on me.

It is likely that some Transgender people will be persecuted by politicians who are also religious zealots.  They  may consider fleeing the country.  Although it is illegal to enter Canada without going through a legal checkpoint, our border is mostly unguarded.  There are towns (and buildings) that sit on the border.  If one feels that they might be targeted because of politics, one might consider finding a way to reach the border without leaving electronic bread crumbs.  No cell phones or late model cars would be safe in this attempt.  Remember, Abbie Hoffman stayed on the lam for years using the alias of "Barry Fried".  This might be a way to wait things out if things go sour in our country.

Remember - most people don't give a damn about us.  This will work for and against us.  Try to use that knowledge to your best advantage....