It's really been exhausting, hasn't it?
The holiday season and all the hustle, the bustle, the rushing around.
Oh. Yeah. That, too.
I'm actually talking about being exhausted listening to experts on geopolitical matters and governmental/military strategies with international ramifications and global consequences.
And, at least in this particular conversation, I'm talking about "experts" being defined as people who, when it comes to geopolitical matters and governmental/military strategies with international ramifications and global consequences irrefutably and monumentally don't know their ass from a hole in the ground.
You'd like to think that kind of irresponsible, clearly uneducated and/or misinformed individual would be difficult to find in a nation that prides itself on being number one in the world when it comes to sophistication, education, erudition and aspires, at all times, to seeking a higher level of understanding about life and the myriad complexities that make up the incredibly complicated existence that is, in fact, life.
Difficult to find? Turns out, not so much.
It's actually easier...far, far, far too easier than shooting fish in a barrel.
All one need do is find any posting on Facebook having anything to do with Donald Trump. Then scroll down to the comments section.
Every now and then, depending on the circumstances of the posting, one might have to bypass the first one or two or few comments to hit pay dirt. Every once in a while, a little click on the "view more comments" link is necessary to get to the wellspring of high school level wisdom and Fox News nurtured brilliance.
Such was not the case as I came upon the first post regarding a major news summary of Trump's sudden, out of the blue decision to end American military involvement in Syria. And, good on me, because, obviously, as we all know, it's a very busy time of year and there's not a lot of time in the daily to-do list for excessive scrolling, so, luck be a lady, I found a plethora of experts with the first roll of my scrolling finger.
The news summary's underlying theme, of course, was that this unexpected, sudden plan to simply flip the switch, strategically speaking, was, across a broad cross section of observers and insiders from all political parties, being viewed as, at best, an extremely ill advised move and, at worst, a rash and dangerous action.
Here's a more than just a little warped Whitman's Sampler of insight, perspective and analysis provided by a variety of obviously seasoned academicians and geopolitical scientists to that Facebook posting.
"Funny how Democrats can never figure out what they really want. They are like children. They want it until they can have it and they they no longer want it."
Astute analytical contribution from someone whose parenting techniques are surely in huge demand on the lecture circuit.
"Good. We spent eight years being alarmed now our country had no leadership."
Yes. I noticed the incorrect, conflicting grammar, too. No. I have no idea what she actually means, either.
"I was alarmed at the Democrats actions during the Kavanaugh hearings. So now we're even."
Nothing teaches political opponents a lesson like putting entire regions of the planet at risk of further bloodshed, upheaval and, eventual American re-involvement,most likely at a much higher cost in terms of resources, materials and American lives.
"I thought Democrats didn't want us involved in overseas conflicts. Which is it assholes?"
Ah. Now there's an articulate query from someone I feel confident has all five tuners on his car radio fixed on hard rock or country and not a one on NPR.
Here's a couple of more deeply considered, complex interpretations of the possible repercussions and/or ramifications of Trump's switch flip.
"Here's the Republican platform: Border security/booming economy/better trade deals/infrastructure...here's the Democrats platform: hate Trump."
Uh. Yeah. Uh. No. We'll get to that in a minute.
But, among the minor shiny pearls of wannabe wisdom, here's the crown jewel of this thread's selections.
"Get all the troops home! If ISIS regains strength, nuke them and finish them off."
I've often, and freely, admitted that while I consider myself a spiritual person, I am not, in all honesty, a very religious person.
That said, I also freely admit that I indulge myself the luxury of praying, from time to time, that there is both a literal Heaven and a literal Hell, if only to additionally pray that there is the proverbial special place in the bad place for the kind of senseless stupidity living amongst us that offers "nuke em" as a go-to when it comes to navigating the tricky waters of global activity.
Far too often, these days, useful discussion and debate gets derailed from the get go, primarily because we can't get past the basic disagreements triggered by insights like that. And the one offered in the earlier "comparison" of the respective political party "platforms".
Allow me.
Border security? You mean other than the border security that has been in place for decades? Or the border security that consists of the first there is a wall and then there is no wall and then there is melody that Donald and Company stop the show with every performance. With a little encore of first Mexico will pay for the wall and then they won't pay for the wall and then they will.
And...hang on...let me check....
At this writing, uh, nope. Still not gonna pay. No way, Jose'.
There is, meanwhile, a GoFundMe page on which our more patriotic and, clearly, again, expert in foreign affairs and relations Americans have already ponied up a million buck, or seventeen million, depending on which totally unbiased report you might read from whatever unbiased source you are surely employing to get the honest, factual, you could swear to God's face and not fear His wrath kind of truth.
Coming soon: mall kiosks where you can fork over wall moolah in person. Red cap and auto-pen autographed color glossy for only $59.95 with each donation.
Booming economy. Stock market in the deepest part of the crapper since 1929. Resulting in large measure from uncertainty about tariffs both in place and yet to be birthed, which brings us around to ......better trade deals?
Uh, yeah. In Donald's head. Pretty much not anywhere else.
Infrastructure? Where? When? Oh...and, again. Where? Besides stars in your eyes and a potentially harmful rose colored glow, what are you seeing that most of us are straining our retinas to get a hint of a look at? I mean, 20/20 eyesight may be a casualty of a libtard, snoflake lifestyle, but I'm pretty sure we'd notice the historic and massive program of rebuilding of our roads, bridges, causeways, freeways, Interstates, even that annoying pot hole on pick any street name in the good ol US of A you want.
Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't sprinkle the conversation with Donald's current supposed executive spin on holding his breath till he turns blue, essentially holding the country hostage, vowing to keep the current shutdown in shutdown mode until Uncle Sam ponies up the 5 billion dollars that the amusing little voices Trump hears inside his head have told him will be the cost of his memorial wall. That's memorial in the satirical sense and memorial in the hope springs eternal sense, while we're at it. Not for nothin, of course, the 5 billion dollars that should, actually, be 99,632,500,000 pesos. What with his brave, courageous, patriotic pledge to build that wall! and get Mexico to pay for it. But say pledge to Donald and he mumbles something like "just dust the tables and leave me alone....."
And, for shits and grins, let's just throw in that the Secretary of Defense became the latest member of this "administration" to recognize a sinking ship when he's aboard one and announced his resignation because, in his own words, he cannot abide the alienating of America's allies and the continued support, endorsement, oh, hell, let's call it what it is, ersatz bromance love affair between Donald Trump and his cutie patootie petunia Putin.
See how easy it is to get all lathered up and go swerving off the highway of productive give and take and crash into the ditch of bitchin?
Hate Donald Trump? I'm being blunt honest when I tell you that, yeah, there are days that it feels exactly like that's what this feeling is. But what's left of the better angels still flying around, bopped and battered though they have been this last couple of years, whisper to me that it's not a hatred of a man. It is an anger and frustration born out of an impatience, even an intolerance for nothing more complex than ignorance.
The kind of ignorance that makes people who can't put a correct sentence together cocksure that they know everything there is to know about geopolitical matters and governmental/military strategies with international ramifications and global consequences.
And that their position and/or opinion and/or supposed insight has a mili-microbe of validity or matters a hoot in hell to anyone except the other self professed experts in geopolitical matters and governmental/military strategies with international ramifications and global consequences.
Oh. And Donald. Because your love, adoration and respect for his brilliance in all those matter, strategies, ramifications and consequences is most probably the only thing that gives him the strength to get out of bed in the morning. Or even go on living.
This piece began in a holiday setting. Indulge me while I simplify it considerably and return it to that atmosphere.
Two years ago, many of you, too many of you chose a blunt tool to do surgical work.
And two years in, you're now experts on geopolitical matters and governmental/military strategies with international ramifications and global consequences but you don't have a single, solitary clue about a simple, basic, fundamental human truth.
Good and reasonable people of any and all political, racial, sexual, philosophical stripe, all want to get to the same place...but you handed the steering wheel to a two year old and, now, you're annoyed and angry and resentful that so many of us can't "get over" the fact that you handed the steering wheel to a two year old.
And we refuse to "get over" it because it would have been bad enough if you, alone, had to pay for whatever damage, destruction, even death that the inexperience and the incompetence and the childishness and the tantrums will do, but, it's one bus...and we all go over the same cliff.
But here's a thing. And zero in big time and listen to this very closely.
We get it. You couldn't bring yourself to vote for Hillary. And you know what?
It was a totally sucky choice with which you were faced.
Guess what?
Us, too.
But, four years of a woman who may, or may not, have had people killed; who may, or may not, have been in bed with fat cat donors; who may, or may not have ended up being a bleeding heart, libtard snoflake as opposed to a stick up the ass, give tax cuts that only benefit the already rich, drill every last drop of oil out of and/or pollute the living shit out of every acre of National Park couldn't have possibly turned out any worse or done even as much, let alone more, damage than just two years, and counting, have done by the two year old with absolutely no experience whatsoever dealing with hardball, life altering decision making on a global stage, said life altering consequences affecting everyone, not just Hannity, not just Kellyanne, not just Tomi Lahren, not just Rush, not...just...you...
Everyone.
All of us.
So, here's a belated Christmas wish for you and yours...and that includes not only your loved ones, but all those who now test our peace on earth, good will towards men resolve each and every day with each and every new irrefutable proof that this man you chose has turned out to be exactly what we all feared most he would turn out to be.
Actually, make that what the rest of us knew from five minutes into that Rod Serling meets Benny Hill version of a presidential candidacy spawned out of the gold plated ooze.
Incompetent. Unqualified. Childish. Irrational. Perhaps,likely, even psychologically dangerous.
We wish for you and yours, happiness and health. We wish for you a roof over your heads and food in your bellies. We wish for you a safe neighborhood to raise your families and a safe school where you can send your kids to learn and become more educated about truths and facts and how this country, and the world, for that matter, really work, where both you, and they, only have to worry about them coming home with an F in algebra....and neither you, nor they, ever have to worry about never again going home because their school day ended with a bullet in their head.
In that spirit, we wish that if you won't, or even can't, own up to the stunningly obvious failure, let alone danger, that is this "presidency", you will at least do the rest of us the courtesy of putting an end to defending him...at least to our faces....even if the only way you insist on doing that is to post your expertise on a daily, even hourly, basis.
Most of all, we wish that you would do everything you can, all that is within your ability, to remember this two or four years or whatever this mutation of a presidency ends up being...and, along with that, remember that we, all of us, every one of us, you and me and we, the people, all good and reasonable people want to get to the same place, safely and sanely.
And we're frustrated because we recognize you felt like you had to make the choice you made.
But, now, two years and an unprecedented mess later, you resent us for calling it what an actual two year old could recognize and call it...an unprecedented mess.
Many of you have said many times since you first climbed on the Trump Train that you admire somebody who tells it like it is, so, in that spirit, allow me the courtesy to do just that.
You blew it. Work harder to get it right next time. Because we are all accountable for who we let steer the bus...all of us...whether it be to a better nation and a better life...which seems increasingly less likely with each passing day...or over the cliff...which, with each passing day, increasingly becomes a safe bet.
As another clean slate in the form of a new year shows up for all of us, we have a request for many, too many of you. We ask that you give serious, committed consideration to making what's next one of your New Year's Resolutions.
Resolve to be true, blue, red blooded American honest in a fair, factual, you could swear to God's face and not fear His wrath kind of honest that you, in fact, know less than jackshit about everything there is to know, actually, no, make that you know absolutely nothing about geopolitical matters and governmental/military strategies with international ramifications and global consequences.
Unless you're diplomaed, certified, credentialed and have made such knowledge your life pursuit, academically, professionally, even personally.
New Year's Resolutions. A chance to start fresh. Or an exhausting end to an already exhausting season. Or a whole bunch of both.
Let's not bullshit each other, whattya say?
Chances are pretty good we're not going to go the gym more often....for very long.
The laundry baskets and kids toys will be stacked back on that treadmill in the family room before Valentine's Day, latest.
Sugar is a major food group, okay? Let's stop kidding ourselves.
And you can't quit smoking again. Because until you don't smoke anymore,ever, you haven't ever quit smoking in the first place. You're only stopped once or twice or whatever.
But your inability to keep your resolutions doesn't affect the health of me or mine.
There's one resolution that totally affects every one of us. Every. Single. One.
Be honest about what you know. And what you don't know. And how you've been letting what you don't know play a huge, too huge part in your decision making process this last couple of years.
Stop posting on social media your flawed, failed, useless, mindless, pointless perspective on geopolitical matters and governmental/military strategies with international ramifications and global consequences.
Or, while we're at it, the economy, the global consequences of ill timed remarks or outright misstatements, the intricate, complicated, even delicate nature of interactions among citizens of a country, citizens of other countries and/or all other countries on the planet we all have to inhabit for the foreseeable.
Because you don't know what you're talking about. And you damn well know it.
But here's the real kick in the head.
You know from nothing about those matters.
And yet you actually know more than the two year old to whom you handed the steering wheel two years ago.
Work harder to get it right.
It's a big bus.
But just like that big boat.
We're all in it.
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