Keep It In The Family

"Everybody gets everything handed to them. The rich inherit it. I don't mean just inheritance of money. I mean what people take for granted among the middle and upper classes, which is nepotism, the old-boy network." - Toni Morrison

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, arguing with a fool only proves that there are two; but nowadays everything bears repeating. Because apparently no matter how ostensibly bizarre, insane or abhorrent something might be to reasonable people, if you say something often enough and loud enough, it doesn’t matter. A lie or rumour becomes a ‘theory’ and this subsequently becomes someone’s truth. The evidence is abundant on the global political stage. Whether it’s Duterte, Farage, Le Pen or Trump, populist politics has crystallised an awareness that distorting the truth has currency. But I recognise that you can give a person information or knowledge, but you can’t make them think. Some people would rather remain stupid because the truth often compels change and that scares people. Plus it’s hard work and who’s got time for that.

Certainly not Cheetos Jesus himself, Donald Trump.

I’m not American and no matter what my personal opinions of Amerikkka from personal and anecdotal experience, I recognise that like a lot of people I have lots of information about the country, but a limited amount of knowledge. But Amerikkka casts a long shadow over world affairs so whether I like it or not what happens there matters. And now that Amerikkka’s long shadow is orange, narcissitic, bigoted, short-tempered and delusional, what happens in Amerikkka matters even more. So as much as the anarchist in me relishes the prospect of ‘the swamp’ being drained, the pragmatic, sane part of me realises that the swamp is being drained to see if oil can be found `at the bottom. But not before the swamp is populated with bottom feeders and reptilian monsters.

The most plutocratic cabinet in history has been formed by the sunburnt Stalin. If appointing billionaires is a sign of sticking It to the elite, then the elite must have privilege, power and wealth that the gods would envy. He has exacerbated this by appointing people like Rick Parry, Betsy Devos and Scott Pruit as heads of the very organisations that they have vowed to destroy. It’s like being forced to have a repentant paedophile babysit your kids – you pray that he can do the right thing but expect him to do the unspeakable and perverse. That’s the nightmare awaiting the EPA, Education and Energy departments in the age of Trump. But don’t worry; the inner cities will be thriving under the stewardship of a man whose key qualification for securing the post of Secretary for Housing and Urban Development appears to be living in a house. Or was that living in poverty at one point in his life? Being African American? Well, it’s certainly not because former presidential candidate, neurosurgeon and part-time sloth impressionist, Ben Carson, has any experience in the field, or for that matter thinks he can do the job. Yep, this guy turned down the offer to be Health Secretary because he ‘doesn’t have any government experience’, yet suddenly has an epiphany, decides that he can contribute and opts for a position that he is uniquely unqualified for. He ran for President you know. Sorry, but it bears repeating.

Three Goldman Sachs executives have been hand-picked by Drumpf, including Steve Mnuchin, a man who personifies Robin Hood by robbing the poor to give to the rich. I didn’t say he was Robin Hood, just that he had his spirit. Unfortunately it’s his spirit in reverse. Mnuchin has been dubbed the§ “foreclosure king” for buying up distressed mortgages and evicting thousands of homeowners during the financial crisis. So what better place for him than Head of the Treasury? Next the Tangerine Narcissus will just make appointments like a dictator and give family members a……..wait a minute. Well, at least Ivanka and Mr Ivanka are, errrr, intelligent? I’m sure they’re wonderful people but when Amerikkka voted, as righteous, deluded or misinformed they may have been they were voting for Trump the man, not Trump the family and brand.

Now there is a dawning realisation amongst the followers – after all it’s a movement – of the Cheetos Messiah that his campaign promises were as meaningful as a degree fro Trump University. Whilst a lot of us have found the populist rhetoric as hard to digest as a Trump Steak, his acolytes and apostles have chosen to ignore Trump’s words and actions and cling on to the forlorn hope that he meant the majority of his promises. They’re not even holding out hope that he meant everything anymore! The dude isn’t even President yet and already, even his followers have started to feel like Hillary Clinton on the morning of 9th November, 2016.

Aggravating China. Dismissing your own intelligence agencies threat assessment of foreign intervention in the democratic process. Taking credit fir creating jobs that were already there. Picking Twitter fights with union bosses and actors. Claiming 3 million illegals voted (he might be right – 3 million Russians). Meeting Kanye, particularly dangerous as I’m sure 2 egos in such close proximity defies the laws of physics. All of the aforementioned and the multiple promises he has already broken should each be a cause for concern to the Trumpers and Trumpettes. But the signal that he is not actually draining the swamp but restocking and privatising it may be the slap in the face that Amerikkka needed for America to be reborn