Doug's Darkworld

So breaking news today, the FBI has arrested a number of men plotting to kidnap Michigan’s governor and start a civil war, heeding Trump’s call to “liberate” Michigan. Glad they were caught. I’m not as excited as some, sounds like a bunch of idiot yahoos likely encouraged by FBI informants to concoct a ridiculous plot. It’s not a good sign though, armed insurrection is an insane overreaction at this point. Governor Whitmer was furious, and blamed Trump for inciting groups like this to violence. (In his debate with Biden, Trump  pointedly refused to condemn such groups.) The FBI has been tracking these particular people for months, so it’s not like the debate inspired them.

Honestly I think Whitmer should have studiously avoided laying the blame at Trump’s feet, now his supporters will rally round him and blame the Dems for the nation’s partisanship divide. Her statement was a softball pitch to Trump at least. I guess progressives will support her statement, a lot of people are still processing it all. I’m still not sure what to think. I’ve already seen one Trump supporter blame Antifa, it’s not out of the question Trump will blame his imaginary “extreme leftists” for actually fomenting the plot somehow. We’ll see, I’m writing at midday, who knows what will happen in the next six hours.

I visited The Drudge Report today. First time in years. It’s a conservative counterpoint to Antiwar.com more or less. I was surprised, shocked even, I’d heard Mr Drudge wasn’t supporting Trump anymore. The first link I saw was this: Dying in a Leadership Vacuum. It’s an article from the Harvard Medical School in the New England Journal of Medicine … about how catastrophically incompetant the Trump administration’s response to Covid-19 is. And this: PIERS MORGAN: Donald Trump’s dying presidency is crashing and burning in a reckless, chaotic, dangerous, earth-scorching ball of fire – because he fears the American people are about to tell him: ‘YOU’RE FIRED!’ I think we can safely say Matt Drudge isn’t a Trump supporter anymore.

Final thoughts on yesterday’s Harris-Pence “debate.” It wasn’t a debate. A debate is a moderated discussion of real things. It can certainly include politics and religion, but it has to be anchored in reality. In the very first question, Pence simply ignored reality, and promoted the Trump alternate reality where Trump’s Covid-19 virtue signaling “saved millions of lives.” Debate isn’t possible with someone who’s living in a fantasy world, how can it be? There’s nothing to argue, by all scientific and rational standards Trump’s Covid-19 response was wildly inadequate. Compared to any other developed country the USA is a Covid-19 basket case. We had nearly 1,000 deaths yesterday, Canada had 19. And other developed countries had similar low numbers. The USA is the worst hit country by Covid-19, certainly among developed countries. So even debating it with Trump gives this nonsense credence. The Nation suggested cancelling presidential debates. Cancel the Presidential Debates—Permanently. It makes a lot of good points, I agree, they’ve become farcical.

I dunno, Pelosi, whom I don’t really like (irrelevant, I know) is talking about invoking the 25th Amendment. This is where an incapacitated president is removed from power. Part of me says, no, this is crazy talk. But after watching Pence last night, I realized that Trump’s claim that he won a great victory against Covid-19 and saved millions of lives is as if Lee claimed Gettysburg was a great victory and now the war was almost won. It is literally that batshit crazy. Will Trump go so off the rails that even Pence and company will agree he needs to step down? Damned if I know.

Current thinking, Trump’s gonna get more and more out there and alienate all but his inner core, and lose the election by an undeniable landslide. He’ll resign, Pence will pardon him, and he’ll slink away. That’s the good version. Things could still get way uglier, and won’t be surprised if they do. Trump was basically claiming today that he wants his attorney general to arrest Obama, Biden, Clinton. The evidence being some declassified stuff that even the GOP Senate committee investigating didn’t think worth pursuing. What if Trump picks up the phone and orders those arrests?

Could be a lot more interesting than some yahoos thinking that plotting treason and rebellion was a good idea. 2020 never lets up on the interesting news, so no end of blog topics. My cancer surgery has been scheduled for November, so hoping that means I’ll be around to see how the election turns out at least. It’s my fervent hope. When I visit graveyards I’m always especially saddened by people who died in years like 1944 or 1864. It would be like being at a Superbowl game, and dying in the last inning before the winner was determined. I mean wow, death is a bummer, but just before the end of the game? That’s cold God.

Actually God is always implacably fair down to subatomic levels. The rules of the Universe are never broken. Stay safe and sane everyone. Shares, likes, comments, appreciated. #StaytheFHome #WearaDamnMask #FelesRegula

Copyright © 2020 Doug Stych. All rights reserved.

(Image: “Fall of the Rebel Angels” by Bruegels, 1562. Public Domain. I chose it for my debate post last night, it just seems like an image that captures the times we are in. Then the fly happened, and that had to be used. Crazy times.)