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Donald Trump: “Who Ate the Strawberries?!”
HT: NA
Watching an hour's interaction between Donald Trump and the press
this afternoon during his contentious exchange with the media reporters
gathered in the room was reminiscent of one of my favorite films: The Caine
Mutiny.
In the film version of Herman Wouk’s Pulitzer Prize winning
novel of 1951, Humphrey Bogart plays Captain Queeg, the deranged and delusional
leader of the Navy destroyer S.S. Caine,
leading his ship through heavy seas. The
Captain’s increasing and frightening paranoia finally ends in a takeover of his
command by some honorable and some self-serving lower officers of the deck.
Think of “heavy seas” as North Korea firing missiles, Iran
threatening to restart its nuclear warfare program, Afghanistan in danger of
losing ground to the Taliban, Russian low-level flyovers of our fleets again in
the Baltics, European concerns that NATO agreements may not be honored, an
over-heated Wall Street bubble-like response to the initial euphoria of a Trump
win, the increased polarity of a nation uneasy with the new leadership, and much more. Bigly.
The ship? Well, you get it.
If you’d like a good
look at where we are headed (or perhaps already arrived), it won’t be the now newly
popular 1984 by George Orwell. Life was
miserable for poor Winston Smith, but at least the Inner Party actually operated
like a 'well-oiled machine.' One could
count on a strict re-education plan with an unexpected mask of rats as a surprise for thinking outside the party’s edifice of false political catechism.
Looking back, the Party and O’Brien may have been sinister, but they
weren’t crazy.
Captain Queeg, on the other hand, is demonstrably “crackers.”
And the Inner Party weren’t so delusional as to describe an administration
grinding and chafing with thoughtless executive orders and politically reckless
cabinet picks as “a well-oiled machine.”
Queeg’s journey into a self-made mare’s nest concludes in a
bizarre self-defense based on “geometric logic” and the overabundance of “disloyal
officers” he cannot trust. Sound
familiar?
The news conference today was also “crackers.” Geometric logic declares over and over again
“I was the winner, not Hillary.” The
number of Electoral votes continued to be regurgitated to demonstrate his
eminent and unshakeable position. “I got 306…”
Trump finds the leaks illegal, not the actions of his Security Advisor.
Trump finds the leaks illegal, not the actions of his Security Advisor.
Questioned about recently resigned National Security Advisor
Michael Flynn, Trump was quick to point out that Flynn’s firing was for not
telling Vice President Mike Pence of his misdeeds – that is, for unadvisedly
contacting Russian government officials regarding sanctions before Trump’s
inauguration into office.
In fact, Trump was unable to find any culpability in Flynn’s
actions at all.
“I fired him because of what he said to Mike Pence…very
simple… I would have directed him (Flynn) to do it, if I thought he wasn’t
doing it…but I didn’t, but I would have directed him because that was his
job…no, I didn’t but I would have…if he didn’t.”
Like any amoral argument, I am only guilty of you catch me.
And even then, I can’t see myself as guilty of anything. Ever.
It goes on…and on.
“The news is fake…I don’t mind bad stories. I can handle a bad story better than
anybody. As long as it’s true. Over the course of time I’ll make mistakes
and you’ll write badly, but I’m okay with that…but I’m not okay when it’s
fake.”
“The public doesn’t know if it (news reporting) is true or
false. Because they’re not
involved. I’m involved. I’ve been doing this stuff all my life, so I
know when you’re telling the truth or when you’re not.
“I’ll tell you what else I see. I see tone.
The tone is such hatred. I’m
really not a bad ,person by the way. The
tone is such…I do get good ratings; you do have to admit that.
“I’m changing you (pointing to a knew reporter) from fake news to ‘really’ fake
news.”
Particular media stations are “full of anger (at me). My favorites (Fox and friends) are very honorable people.
"Nobody mentions Hillary’s cheating. If I (did that) it would be the electric
chair…”
…”we do have other people (to talk here)…and your ratings
are not as good as the other people..”
“I could shoot that ship (Russian) that’s 30 miles off shore
if I wanted to... I’m not going to tell
you what I’m going to do (to that ship).”
Abuse of reporters from other nations: “Yeah, I know…you’re a beauty… (to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation representative).”
“Russia is a ruse…”
To an African American reporter: “What’s the CBC? Why don’t you arrange a meeting with them for
me (Congressional Black Caucus). Your
people lock themselves into apartments…”
Blustering about the Senate Minority Leader: "Schumer?…a Lightweight."
But the feeble comparison of film to reality falls far short of the absolute terror anyone should feel for our nation and its Rule of Law, having witnessed the performance of the imbalanced and narcissistic pendragon in today’s news conference.
Only the ball bearings are absent.
Only the ball bearings are absent.
RESIST! THIS IS NOT NORMAL.
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