It’s perhaps a good thing that most people aren’t printed on paper anymore, because entire forests have been slaughtered trying to analyze “What is Trump doing now?”
The articles typically consist of:
A lengthy explanation of why tariffs don’t work.
Questioning the wisdom of damaging US relations with the rest of the world.
Wondering if he’s senile.
Which, as best as I can figure, misses the point. The point for anything that Trump does now or has ever done is simply this: “How does it benefit Trump?”
In that regard, the last week of tariff chaos was perfect for Trump. Did he make a shitload of money because he knew when the tariffs were going to start and stop? You betcha.
Did all the Trump toadies, synchopants and minions in the White House and Congress that he needs to keep in line so he can stay in power and give them enough financial security to withstand the public outrage make a shit ton of money? Of course.
Did you, the lowly plebe who is not Donald Trump, take it up the ass? Of course you did. Why, because you’re not Donald Trump, so fuck you, who cares?
This has always been Trump’s worldview. The man put his name on meat, for Christ's sake. Future psychologists are going to shorten the phrase "self-centred narcissist" to just “Trump” to save on the word count. He does not care about anyone who is not him. He would sacrifice his children (literally, sacrifice, as in on an altar) if there was profit in it.
If a demon told Trump he could live another year by sacrificing half the people who voted for him in an arcane blood ritual, he would do it in a heartbeat. The sad thing is that the remaining, still living half would approve of him doing it.
(As a side note, Trump has done more to sway me into the notion of an afterlife than any religious text. Because I like to have some faith that people are not this stupid and are, in fact, being swayed as they are because Trump sold his soul to the devil decades ago for power and this is the result.)
That’s the strategy. People are calling him a fascist, and maybe he is. But it’s about the money. It’s about saying “I win.” That's all it's ever been to him. The terror he’s causing among minorities and giving ICE draconian powers? That’s just good TV for him. He’ll pop a Diet Coke, watch that on Fox, then put on some repeats of The Apprentice before hitting the golf course.
That’s it. That’s the whole strategy. Last week was wildly successful for Trump. Shitloads of money, world leaders grovelling and people he loathes panicking and fearing him. He’s going to keep hitting that repeat button until it blows up.
More intelligent people than me have probably figured that out and are hopefully working on a strategy to counter it. But yeah, anytime you think he’s a senile idiot, well, maybe. But as long as it keeps making him money, he will keep doing it no matter how much it hurts 99.9% of everyone else. He doesn’t care.
Because….fuck you. You’re not Donald Trump.
Last Five
1. Breakaway - Tori Amos
2. Modern Love - David Bowie*
3. Come pick me up (live) - Ryan Adams
4. I think we're lost - Ron Sexsmith
5. Mr. Richards - REM
