Political Theatre category archive

David discusses the attraction of faux intellectuals.

You can read the NYT article here.

As of today, it looks as if Donald Trump’s attempt to cut a deal with North Korea will likely be a flailure. Jay Bookman takes a look at the situation; a snippet (emphasis added).

So how will Trump react when — not if, but when — it all starts to fall apart? In past negotiations with Congress over issues such as spending, Obamacare and gun-safety laws, Trump has tried to salvage a deal by basically caving to other side, only to be reined back in by his staff and conservative leadership. That’s because Trump cares a lot about getting the credit for closing the deal, and not at all about the actual details or policy involved in that deal.

(snip)

The alternative Trumpian response — anger and frustration that his dreams of being world peacemaker have been dashed, making him look foolish in the process — is equally likely and even more troubling. History tells us that Trump is not a man who responds maturely to public failure; his instinct is to get vindictive and lash out blindly, blaming everyone but himself. And in this context, that could get an awful lot of innocent people killed.

Afterthought:

Not many are saying this outright, but it’s clear that Kim Jong-Un has played Dealmeister Trump like a drum. Kim kept dropping the breadcrumbs, and Trump obligingly gobbled up the bait. Now drops the hammer.

In the process, Trump has given the despotic regime in North Korea a patina of international legitimacy it has not previously had, which, methinks, was Kim’s goal throughout.

Via Job’s Anger.

University of Maine professor Robert Klose considers the current state of the Trumpling and draws two conclusions.

First, there is no longer a need for fiction; an accurate rendering of Trump’s shenanigans already exceeds the most potent powers of literary imagination. What writer could improve upon it?

Second, the idea of an informed electorate being essential to democracy has been rendered quaint, and should be replaced by another axiom: an entertainment-needy nation finds gratification in what amounts to political pornography — the more wildly prurient, the better.

Follow the link for his reasoning.

Afterthought:

I’m so old, I can remember when there were Republicans who were Americans first and Republicans secon–oh, never mind.

Shaun Mullen considers why relations between Russia and the United States remain dodgy, despite the end of the Cold War. A snippet:

Meanwhile, what is Trump’s Russia policy and who is his top Russia adviser?

Trump has no policy beyond making nice with Putin and issuing frequently nonsensical executive orders, while his top adviser is . . . Putin . . . .

Much more at the link.

Via Job’s Anger.

Some Republicans have been quite callous about John McCain’s impending death; Kelly Sadler’s remark that he “doesn’t matter, he’s dying anyway” is the most notable example.

Dick Polman puts the cruelty in context.

Via Job’s Anger.

Shaun Mullen makes book.

Via Juanita Jean.