If YOU are a caring, decent human being; especially if YOU are a decent, caring American – then you MUST read “Now Is the Time of Monsters,” by Ezra Klein; January 19, 2025; New York Times.
The four monsters: “Donald Trump is returning; artificial intelligence is maturing; the planet is warming; and the global fertility rate is collapsing.”
“To look at any of these stories in isolation is to miss what they collectively represent: the unsteady, unpredictable emergence of a different world.”
First, Trump: “Democracy does not die in darkness. It degrades through deal-making…We have seen this termitic corruption consume democracies elsewhere…Orban’s Hungary..” For perspective read “How Democracies Die” [Levitsky & Ziblatt], “On Corruption In America” [Chayes], “How Fascism Works” [Stanley]
Then, seriously examine Trump’s first week in power. Pardoning 1,500 CONVICTED people who trashed the U.S. Capitol; injured, disabled, murdered police; hunted and intended to execute a Vice President and various Congress members – all in an unprecedented coup effort – which many said they were doing because Trump called them to do it.
Next, examine Trump’s efforts to suppress criticism of him and make him accountable. He’s conducted a 10-year war against ANY & ALL media that dare to point out his 30,XXX lies, his stupidity and incompetence, his cruelties, his illegalities and un-Constitutional attempts.
Next – examine Trump’s efforts to ensure “loyalty.” He and his allies intend to purge ANYBODY in government they can – legally or illegally – who aren’t “loyal” to whatever weirdness exists in Trump’s teenage mind. Witness his firing of government inspectors general. Look up WHY Congress created their positions.
Next – examine Trump’s unprecedented effort to purge government civil servants. For perspective, examine WHY government civil service employees were given protection from political hacks: “By the mid-1820s, government jobs were commonly used as political rewards. An incoming President would dismiss a large number of government workers..and replace them with members of his own party..to enhance the President’s control of the bureaucracy.” Laws passed in 1853 and 1855 to get competent people. In 1881, a frustrated office seeker murdered President Garfield – leading to the Civil Service Act of 1881. [World Book Encyclopedia]
Next – examine Trump’s relationships with billionaires, especially in light of his infamous 2017 tax cut law that primarily benefitted the wealthy – which he wants to renew! In spite of the fact it WILL increase the U.S. national debt by trillions [his 2017 billionaire’s tax cut is 25% of the current federal debt].
Next – examine Trump’s control of the “Republican” Party – now essentially a personality cult. Review the demands he’s made, starting with NOT approving CONSERVATIVE-created bipartisan immigration reform bill that would’ve substantially improved U.S. border enforcement. Trump ORDERED “Republicans’ to vote against it – so HE COULD CAMPAIGN ON IMMIGRATION in the 2024 election!!! [is this THE definition of corruption? ]
Next – review material, just in ordinary media, on hw Trump intends to operate on the basis of fear and intimidation – whatever it takes to BULLY people, including foreign governments, into doing whatever stupid, cruel, destructive, illegal or un-Constitutional thing he’s thinking of doing. For perspective, read up on dictatorships, fascism, authoritarianism, criminal mob bosses
And then – there’s “PROJECT 2025” – the FAR RIGHT’s wish list, some 900 pages, so extreme that 2024 voters didn’t like it – so in typical Trump fashion, he lied – saying that like Col. Klink – “I know nothing” about it. Major authors of “Project 2025” NOW are in key positions of his administration – so they can implement “Project 2025” over YOU.
Second – A.I. As with all technology, THE big issue: HOW will A.I. be used – for the betterment of ordinary people like YOU – or – for criminal things, for un-democratic things? Will it develop into a threat to humans because it can outthink us? Among its numerous flaws – it has shown great propensity to lie and make stuff up. America and China are in a race to be #1 – what if China wins? What happens if A.I. is owned and controlled by the same oligarchs now largely running much of American society? Only a strong, democratic government, can police this – BUT – it’s highly unlikely a Trump government, based upon lies, fear, deal-making, pro-oligarchy – is going to be that government. What can happen between January 20, 2025 – and – January 20, 2029. that is irreversible???
Third – Climate CRISIS. OUR world is breaking heat records virtually every month. We KNOW oceans are too hot by centuries of records – creating storms, etc. We are NOW getting all kinds of extreme weather that scientists have warned us about. If we continue to burn fossil fuels at current rates – the earth, as we know it, is DOOMED Here is perhaps the ultimate example of GREED – some rich people determined to continue getting richer – when their actions will place their own children and grandchildren in peril.
Fourth – Population Collapse. All over the “advanced” world, countries are NOW not producing enough people to simply. replace themselves. Some are on a path to cease to exist as currently structured. Falling birth rates can produce instability – as currently seen in world news. And – for many countries, immigration is THE ONLY chance to survive successfully. BUT – now we have Trump’s war on the people doing the dirty, dangerous, work of American society. Work Americans have refused to do for decades – see comments by farmers, business people, economists.
In various fiction forms – fairy takes, comic books, movies – heroes ride in to save the day. WE SHOULD. BE. SO. LUCKY. Greed has already made climate CRISIS worse beyond scientific models and fears. Our “heroes’ will have to change to more creative power sources, or, we will either return to a new “ice age”, or, the earth will become uninhabitable.
Norms, policies, laws. COULD be written to control A.I. for ordinary people’s benefit – but GREED and weak/non-existent government action [paid for by the rich] WILL allow A.I. to be used to make some wealthy even more rich and powerful, and to create a nightmare society surpassing “1984.”
The BIG, largely unanswered question on population collapse: WHY are people all over the world CHOOSING to have fewer children? What has happened since 1960 that has led people to WANT fewer children? Is this, again GREED – is in the rich of America deliberately destroying the 1947-73 mass middle class mixed blue-white collar prosperity??? What kind of support will encourage people to have children?
And then. there’s an election in which the world’s leading “democracy” chooses to give power to an ACKNOWLEDGED, an PROVEN, cruel, selfish, greedy, liar, and un-democratic “man.” At a time demanding a Washington, a Lincoln, an FDR, an Eisenhower – America, and the world, must now deal with THE anti-Washington. A “man’ whose ego demands he be surrounded by sycophants and incompetents; a 78-year old teenage cult leader
Naughty thought: wouldn’t YOU love to be the “fly-on-the-wall” when all those billionaires, politicians, businessmen, oligarchs, etc. fly to Florida to kiss Trump’s ass – so you could see if he actually makes them do it!!!
Naughty thought #2: would you like to see if he makes them do any other acts while down on their knees?
Sobering thought: †here are 1,453 more days until January 20, 2029. What could possibly go wrong?
Literary thought: Don’t you wish Mark Twain and H.L. Mencken were still alive to write about all this? What could they do with Trump’s l/23/25 statement about the U.S. Federal Reserve bankers and economists: “I know interest rates much better than they do.” ?????????
Be kind to each other. And – hang on to people you love, and. your wallet.
With Justice For All 