"His best defence would be insanity."

 

Brad Raffensperger on the left,

 My obsession with American politics continues apace as does my horrified ‘can’t look away’ disbelief in Trump and his utterly immoral, vindictive, narcissistic, self-pitying, mendacious character. I only mention the latest unbelievable act, an hour long call to Brad Raffensperger, Secretary of State in Georgia tasked with the overall organisation and oversight of elections. I read of it first in Heather Cox Richardson’s Letter from an American,

Professor Heather Cox Richardson

which a friend kindly sends me every day. Presumably all readers of this blog will have already heard/seen almost non-stop media coverage of this call in which Trump cajoles, threatens, begs, Raffensperger to find 11,789 more votes which he needs to prove that he won Georgia in November’s Presidential election. The call was recorded by Raffensperger’s office to be used only if Trump publicised the call himself or attacked Raffensperger subsequently. Inevitably Trump immediately did both and the conversation was aired [many times] Totally the best advice/comment came immediately from Michael Bromwich, former Inspector General of the Dept. of Justice. “His best defence would be insanity.” Now there speaks the voice of reason! And perhaps, compassion.

Michael Bromwich

Among a huge display of opinions about the Trump phone call, one Harvard professor whose name I sadly didn’t note, grabbed my attention. He said that Trump had moved over the four years in office, from ‘little lies’ [countless!] to ‘big lies’, [‘I won the election!’] and was now heading to what he termed, “Mounting a coup.” I hadn’t thought of Trump’s strange behaviour beyond assuming the
continuing assertion in the contrary face of reality, was just another scam by a look-alike Mafia mob boss. He has gained, last I heard, over half a million dollars from ‘little people’ sending him money to aid his fight to regain his Presidency, illicit though that enterprise is; but channelled immediately into one of his personal accounts. The man has always been shameless! But listening to him yesterday I judged him to have slipped further from reality into a dark swirl of anger and denial; into an echo chamber of horrors which terrifies him. Hence the title of this blog, borrowed from Michael Bromwich. I have always been surprised, indeed, taken aback, by the reverence exhibited by apparently all Americans for the office of the Presidency. There has always been a superfluous reverence for The Office and by association, for the man occupying the throne, as it were. Even for crooks like Nixon and Trump.

Mitch  McConnell,
Senate Republican leader;
Trump-enabler.

Insurrection in Washington
Jan. 6th, 2021.

The above was written before the terrifying mob burst into the Senate, yesterday screaming for blood and fulminating against the 'faked' election result. Trump had, through a public speech before cheering crowds, and through the usual Twitter incitement, encouraged his many supporters to storm Congress [I’ll be there with you!] to ensure the so-called ‘illegal’ election result was corrected. The chaos and lawlessness [and eventual four deaths] have shaken Americans’ belief, oft-proclaimed, in their “greatest democracy in the world,” It has certainly rocked the world, supporters and enemies alike. Even leading Republicans have been stung to shocked criticism; a little late perhaps for these Trump-enablers who have publicly, and cynically, backed his non-stop alternative reality lies over his lost election. Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his loss, indeed his strong apparent belief in what he says, confirms his psychologically-damaged, seriously inadequate personality and underlines the danger of installing him in any office. He would have problems in running a sweet shop. But the truly alarming fact is that he has managed to inspire over 70 million people to vote for him for President AND subsequently, following a sizeable loss after an admirably-run election, to convince a significant portion of the American populace that Biden didn’t win, but stole, the election. One imagines the rampaging mob in Washington yesterday to Right what Trump told them was a Wrong, did not understand that it was also tearing apart American democracy.

One hopes sense will prevail and Trump be removed from office forthwith; his attempted coup has failed. Two weeks in office remaining confer a dangerous vacuum for him to convert delusion into destructive action.

Confederate flag aloft in the heart of Government.
One can always rely on racism rearing  its
ugly head in America.