A century and a half ago, James FitzJames Stephen said something rather prescient:
People came in time to regard their rulers rather as their own agents and the depositaries of their own power than as antagonistic powers to be kept in check, and it did not occur to them that their own power exercised through their own agents might be just as oppressive as the power of their rulers confined within closer or wider limits.
— James FitzJames Stephen
It is our duty as informed citizens to be skeptical of anyone in power.
Such a misconception can be multiplied in effect by going full “Bialystock & Bloom”…
Trump promised 80% of his agenda to 100 different people like it's "The Producers"
— Xenocrypt (@xenocryptsite) November 23, 2024
And that’s how you get a gaggle of Nouveau Nomenklatura.
Your humble author often heard from many on the Left why the rural poor would vote against their purported economic interest just because of some social issue or another. ‘Twould seem that circle has been squared by many on the Right by simply becoming the Left abet without the Woke element. It is less a matter of Left vs. Right and rather a question of Bolshevik vs. Menshivek. Merely dissention in the true “Uniparty”.
Take, for example, the sudden thirst for economic illiteracy such as nationally capping credit card interest rates or tariffs. But perhaps more concerning is the schizo nature of the myriad picks of the incoming Administration, and most concerning of all is the willingness of some to see the status quo smashed regardless of the frying-pan-into-the-fire consequences.
I have long since said that the election was a game of chicken where both sides were trying to be as obnoxious as possible while only being second worst. That might work when there really is a “binary choice” (aside from the protest votes).
The downside of that, is that when the worst person loses, the second worst ceases to become the second worst, and becomes the new lowest.
The election is over. Harris will not be able to pick anyone. The threat of a Harris Presidency is no longer there. You can no longer hold that possibility over our heads. Now we have to deal with the reality of Trump doing stupid things and making stupid nominations.
It’s OK to criticize Trump or his picks. Doing so will not give power to Harris. It is a dishonest deflection from who has power now and what those people in power are doing.
It was Ed Koch who noted that if you agree with some politician 100% of the time, at least one of you is insane. Unfortunately, that second worst pick demands absolute submission from those around him. Sadly, far too much of the Right-leaning media have sold their souls and become naked propagandists whose judgement can not be trusted.
Too many have fallen into the “four legs good; two legs bad” nonsense. Their “hot takes” can be safely ignored. These men (and women) without chests deserve nothing.
Trump is not infallible. If he is wrong, it is our obligation to call him out on it just as it is our obligation to call out any of our political leaders or elites.
Such are many of Trump’s picks for his 2nd Administration.
We have the schizo combination of RFK, Jr., who shares blame for dozens of dead children due to his opposition to even MMR vaccines and COVID masking supporter Nesheiwat for Surgeon General.
And as if proving that aforementioned squaring of the political circle, we have America being made great again by… nominating someone who is endorsed by the Teachers Unions. Funny way to drain the proverbial swamp, ‘twould seem.
A person who would have been called part of the “surrender caucus” is now a paragon of MAGA virtue despite supporting Left-wing unions and their policies. National “Right to Work” is dead… a victory for the Left.
The less spoken of the cringe the better.
This is the price of defeating the woke cat ladies and transgender harridsns. It is now time to pay the piper, to pay and pay well, even if it means a Treasury Secretary who worked with George Soros.
Pride goeth before the fall, and hubris is abundant. In a way, if one must draw a parallel, then one must hope that the parallel of the previous non-consecutive President is as imperfect as possible. The electorate of the recent election has been pointed out as compared to a more accurate parallel… and one that gives fair warning that temporary pluralities can be rather transient.
There is no Democratic threat electorally against Trump. Not now, nor will there ever be again thanks to the 22nd Amendment. It is perfectly fine to disagree with him and even criticize him or his appointments, just as it is perfectly fine to agree with him encourage him when he is right. But be under no delusion that you must suffer the people around him if and when they are wrong.
The problem is not who the Nomenklatura is, but that there is any Nomenklatura at all.
