by Bonnie McCune
Much worse. Evidently, we’re in a country that’s gone mad. Bonkers. Off its rockers.
At first, I thought the problem was me. I’ve never felt like I fit in. Even as young as age six, I noticed that I didn’t act or react the way my peers did. Bullying or bragging or doing dangerous stunts held no appeal. By the time I reached the age of reason, which is 12 according to experts, I was accustomed to being the outsider, different, and by college, I prided myself on being unusual. Many things people took for granted as normal, I thought were weird
It wasn’t until the current leader of this country achieved power again that I realized I’m not the crazy one. We’re inhabiting a completely irrational world. Perhaps it’s always been that way, and I simply was too naïve or slow to realize it. Evidently, we live in a country where its leader can openly mock other religions, leaders, and countries with impunity. He feels no hesitation in making fun of people with handicaps or who don’t agree with him. He delivers mind-blowing threats with nary a blink.
Is there anything more unreal than a nation in which the leader has been found guilty of lying under oath, stealing/theft, and numerous other charges without a twitch from a number of authorities. Donald Trump has been adjudged liable, or indicted in numerous criminal and civil cases covering a wide range of legal violations, including falsifying business records, mishandling classified documents, sexual abuse, defamation, and attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
All with complete impunity. Why is he able to ignore and walk around all the customary from crime that so many others are currently imprisoned for? Why are we tolerating this? This man? Anyone else would either be charged with harassment or sued for defamation of character or indicted for crimes. *
A friend of mine blames the laissez-faire attitude of society on the laxity with which society treats contemporary media nowadays. We see murders, thefts, beatings, crimes in a constant flood of words and images in books, videos, and news. I’m not convinced. After all, these despicable behaviors have been part of human conduct from time ad infinitum. They are the stuff of which folk tales and religions are made.
I have taken small comfort in the questionable belief that he’s lost his mind. We’re encouraged to extend tolerance and sympathy to those mentally and emotionally handicapped. My question however, is why no one has tried to disarm him? Supposedly there are penalties for failing to halt this destruction. At the least there are ethical and moral constraints even if no one appears willing to stop him.
Do these sound like rational actions by an adult male in our society?
- He authorizes expenditures (for which he has no legal claims) for huge, unnecessary construction projects that have no legitimate purpose but which proclaim his name.
- He single-handedly closes federal agencies and programs, some in exitance for years, with little blow-back.
- He identifies with god figures so much that he creates (or instructs others to create) images of himself as what obviously is a Messiah figure and Superman.
- He loudly and openly criticizes the actions and purported purposes of other leaders, both civil and international, evidently just to denigrate them.
The publication of Alice in Wonderland is often touted as a view of reality as insanity. Welcome 2026, where Trump’s assessment of reality is bizarre to say the least, inexplicable is another accurate description. His latest proposal is to build a giant arch in Washington, DC, that would dwarf other monumental arches in the world. The administration has not released cost estimates, but the proposal is massive. The excuse? The country’s 250th anniversary.
In other recent news, Trump downplayed the impact of high fuel prices, suggesting the economic fallout from the ongoing war with Iran is less severe than anticipated. He referred to the current inflation as “fake,” attributing it to fluctuating energy prices. Despite gas prices exceeding $5 a gallon at local stations, Trump has chosen not to address the rising costs of fuel or airline tickets during his remarks at a recent appearance.
Other activities too complicated to detail here include responsibility for the deaths of people and complete disruption of individuals’ lives, like immigrants detained in ICE raids, cessation of valuable government programs with no attempt to evaluate their effectiveness in health care, federal lands, education, and many others
Several weeks ago, he promised that the war with Iran was ending soon. He picked a fight with the pope on social media. He threatened to fire the chair of the Federal Reserve. He posted an illustration of himself receiving an encouraging hug from Jesus Christ. When Trump or his handlers are aiming for better press coverage, he typically shifts attention elsewhere, with little or no support from rational explanations.
Perhaps this time will differ from previous measures. Perhaps he won’t be able to message or thunder his way out of the war he started without congressional approval or voter concurrence. But so far, just as previously, no one is trying to stop him. Not Congress, not the military, not the media, not political parties.
The only possible reason for our situation must be the inherent instability and irrationality of the human race itself. There’s nothing new about individuals or countries trying to kill everyone they view as enemies. Nothing unusual about individuals or power groups or countries trying to grab supremacy in any way possible.
In Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll has the characters run a caucus race in order to dry off. The participants run in patterns of any shape, starting and leaving off whenever they like, so that everyone wins. A rather pointless task. For those unfamiliar with this political tradition, the book’s caucus satirizes the absurdity of politics, where participants run in circles with no rules, goal, or clear winner, emphasizing the meaninglessness of competitive processes.
Donald Trump has been found guilty, liable, or indicted in numerous criminal and civil cases covering a wide range of legal violations, including falsifying business records, mishandling classified documents, sexual abuse, defamation, and attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. He uses threats and influences in the manner that 6th grade bully girls use their power. To denigrate, bad mouth, and attempt to humiliate everyone else, not just his opponents. Even the pope! Trump’s version of politics is as ridiculous as the Dodo’s, with people struggling for position simply to get ahead, not for the good of the people or country.
Why should I bother to complain? If someone is delusional but it doesn’t affect me or mine? For example, if he thinks he is emperor of the world and no one forces ME to kiss his feet, I can live with that. His fantasies don’t affect me. Much different if his visions impact my life. Say he forced me to pay a $100 fine every time I spotted his image on TV. Then he’d definitely have an impact on me. I think the bill just hasn’t come due yet.
On the other hand, I might be willing to overlook actions, if he simply leaves me the hell alone. There isn’t much to respect in our system nowadays no matter what the topic. Still, I can’t forget the old advice about improving the world: All that is needed for evil to triumph is that good people do nothing.
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