Thank you. Ever since Jan 2025 I have often felt like we are living in the BTTF Part 2 dystopian timeline. I am counting down the months until his term is over. Let's see, 4 months down, 44 to go ...!
Maybe it's not an insult to Republican voters. Maybe it's a realistic portrait of how far from Heaven the party has fallen as a whole. The sane ones are no longer members of the party having become Independents for the most part.
The remaining ones don't really see what you object to in Biff- really. They'll vote for him again if they get the opportunity. In the meantime, if you own a jet, you'd best give it to him soon. I remember when Reagan finished his term of office and gave a speech in Japan for one million dollars. People seemed shocked but really, it's just a matter of where the decimal point falls. Public funding might have changed all this, I don't know. It's sort of like that old joke about the man who asks a woman to sleep with him for a million bucks. She says yes, so he says "well, how about twenty five bucks?" She says, "what do you think I am a common prostitute?
His response is "We've already established that. Now we're just quibbling about the price."
The entire party has become like that. What they regret is that they're not getting a bigger share of the grift.
Charlie, thanks for this. I think the Biff Tannen analogy is a great one.
In trying to understand why my Trump supporting friends did not seem to care (most in fact were actively supportive) about the fact that President Trump and Congress were throwing aside the Constitution, I came to the conclusion that in their minds they wanted a Jack Bauer in charge, and not a President. I wrote about that here https://gregflo.substack.com/p/does-he-really-not-know?r=12fx35
The place where I explore the Jack Bauer analogy is toward the end. I apologize for the article's length, but I had a lot to say about the fact about how quickly we seemed to have forgotten our President, in one week, told us he wanted to rebuild Alcatraz as a symbol of "law, order, and justice," said that the Declaration of Independence meant "unity, love, and respect," to him, and that he did not know if he needed to uphold the Constitution. I still don't know why we aren't talking about that last bit every day. I know it is obvious from his actions, but it is worthy of note, especially as I could never find anywhere that any reporter ever asked a follow-up question on the President's response about his duties.
“You’re Not Crazy, America Has Gone Mad” is a great article; thank you for the link! Not only is it well-written, it’s a respite of sweet-sweet-sanity in the daily Trump water-boarding we’re all living through.
It reminded me of something else that, when I first read it, made me feel less mind-losing:
For a centuries old (and very readable) rumination on why populations fall under the tyrannical rule of authoritarians, I cannot recommend more highly “The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude” by Étienne de la Boétie, (written in 1549, first published in 1567, translated Harry Kurtz 1942)
From the beginning of Part 1 (there are three parts)
“For the present I should like merely to understand how it happens that so many men, so many villages, so many cities, so many nations, sometimes suffer under a single tyrant who has no other power than the power they give him; who is able to harm them only to the extent to which they have the willingness to bear with him; who could do them absolutely no injury unless they preferred to put up with him rather than contradict him.”
Thinking about markets not reacting. A friend sent this to me - I have lost the source.
There’s a new trade in town called "Taco". It stands for Trump Always Chickens Out. It has fuelled a bizarre market rally up until recently, as investors bet Trump will back down from his extreme trade policies.
Markets at betting Trump will back off, pricing zero fallout from trade wars
While this was in the news...I'm assuming that many people sort of glossed over it, but at the end of the White House tour these days...is a portrait of Trump's assassination attempt scene/photo with him raising his fist in the air. I didn't realize this portrait (replacing Obama's) was part of the tour so it was really shocking (more like appalling) to see and end the tour with that. I didn't take a photo of it and immediately wanted to leave the premises....and I'm not really joking about that.
I'll refrain from listing all of the disparaging comments about all of the personality disorders it would take for someone to want that displayed for all to see.
We LOVED our entire trip to DC and quite literally...and not solely because of that portrait....the WH tour was at very BOTTOM of our trip for enjoyment. Long wait, rushed through, self-guided, painful entrance process and a very cattle car feel to it.
Wowwwwwwwww, like all things Trump, I'm shocked but not surprised that he's befouling the People's House with his propaganda photos.
I'll never forget my WH tour, it was the trip when the ex and I went to DC for his job interview at Commerce. I'd never been to DC before, so it was all extremely exciting. It was also in December 2000, so pre 9/11. We walked straight into the WH, no appointment, went through the old style airport security metal detectors and that was it. I remember how awed I felt when I saw the portrait of JFK walking and thinking that I'd seen in a million photos. I'm sorry your tour was sullied by Trumpy BS.
Another fun thing we did that trip: a Capitol tour. We got to ride on the Senator's Subway and I even went through Orin Hatch's trash 😂
What strikes me about Biff’s portrait is that his facial position and expression looks just like Trump’s official “angry tough guy” presidential portrait. Eerie.
No better way to counteract Trumpian negativity than with a picture of little Eli.
Thank you. Ever since Jan 2025 I have often felt like we are living in the BTTF Part 2 dystopian timeline. I am counting down the months until his term is over. Let's see, 4 months down, 44 to go ...!
Puppy dog Eli! 😊🐾
The problem with our "Biff Tannen" is we don't have a time travel machine to fix this timeline.
https://hejon07.substack.com/p/the-comedy-of-coincidence-laughing
Maybe it's not an insult to Republican voters. Maybe it's a realistic portrait of how far from Heaven the party has fallen as a whole. The sane ones are no longer members of the party having become Independents for the most part.
The remaining ones don't really see what you object to in Biff- really. They'll vote for him again if they get the opportunity. In the meantime, if you own a jet, you'd best give it to him soon. I remember when Reagan finished his term of office and gave a speech in Japan for one million dollars. People seemed shocked but really, it's just a matter of where the decimal point falls. Public funding might have changed all this, I don't know. It's sort of like that old joke about the man who asks a woman to sleep with him for a million bucks. She says yes, so he says "well, how about twenty five bucks?" She says, "what do you think I am a common prostitute?
His response is "We've already established that. Now we're just quibbling about the price."
The entire party has become like that. What they regret is that they're not getting a bigger share of the grift.
Funny that you mention Biff. As a new nickname, I landed on Farty McFly, except that is unkind to the original.
Thanks for your dogs. Cutest damn dog I've ever seen. They help me navigate the day
Charlie, thanks for this. I think the Biff Tannen analogy is a great one.
In trying to understand why my Trump supporting friends did not seem to care (most in fact were actively supportive) about the fact that President Trump and Congress were throwing aside the Constitution, I came to the conclusion that in their minds they wanted a Jack Bauer in charge, and not a President. I wrote about that here https://gregflo.substack.com/p/does-he-really-not-know?r=12fx35
The place where I explore the Jack Bauer analogy is toward the end. I apologize for the article's length, but I had a lot to say about the fact about how quickly we seemed to have forgotten our President, in one week, told us he wanted to rebuild Alcatraz as a symbol of "law, order, and justice," said that the Declaration of Independence meant "unity, love, and respect," to him, and that he did not know if he needed to uphold the Constitution. I still don't know why we aren't talking about that last bit every day. I know it is obvious from his actions, but it is worthy of note, especially as I could never find anywhere that any reporter ever asked a follow-up question on the President's response about his duties.
“You’re Not Crazy, America Has Gone Mad” is a great article; thank you for the link! Not only is it well-written, it’s a respite of sweet-sweet-sanity in the daily Trump water-boarding we’re all living through.
It reminded me of something else that, when I first read it, made me feel less mind-losing:
For a centuries old (and very readable) rumination on why populations fall under the tyrannical rule of authoritarians, I cannot recommend more highly “The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude” by Étienne de la Boétie, (written in 1549, first published in 1567, translated Harry Kurtz 1942)
https://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/etienne-de-la-boetie-discourse-of-voluntary-servitude-1576
From the beginning of Part 1 (there are three parts)
“For the present I should like merely to understand how it happens that so many men, so many villages, so many cities, so many nations, sometimes suffer under a single tyrant who has no other power than the power they give him; who is able to harm them only to the extent to which they have the willingness to bear with him; who could do them absolutely no injury unless they preferred to put up with him rather than contradict him.”
Thanks again for the link!
Again Charlie, thanks for your doggies!!! 😊
Thinking about markets not reacting. A friend sent this to me - I have lost the source.
There’s a new trade in town called "Taco". It stands for Trump Always Chickens Out. It has fuelled a bizarre market rally up until recently, as investors bet Trump will back down from his extreme trade policies.
Markets at betting Trump will back off, pricing zero fallout from trade wars
Had never thought of how perfect this is. So perfect.
While this was in the news...I'm assuming that many people sort of glossed over it, but at the end of the White House tour these days...is a portrait of Trump's assassination attempt scene/photo with him raising his fist in the air. I didn't realize this portrait (replacing Obama's) was part of the tour so it was really shocking (more like appalling) to see and end the tour with that. I didn't take a photo of it and immediately wanted to leave the premises....and I'm not really joking about that.
I'll refrain from listing all of the disparaging comments about all of the personality disorders it would take for someone to want that displayed for all to see.
We LOVED our entire trip to DC and quite literally...and not solely because of that portrait....the WH tour was at very BOTTOM of our trip for enjoyment. Long wait, rushed through, self-guided, painful entrance process and a very cattle car feel to it.
Wowwwwwwwww, like all things Trump, I'm shocked but not surprised that he's befouling the People's House with his propaganda photos.
I'll never forget my WH tour, it was the trip when the ex and I went to DC for his job interview at Commerce. I'd never been to DC before, so it was all extremely exciting. It was also in December 2000, so pre 9/11. We walked straight into the WH, no appointment, went through the old style airport security metal detectors and that was it. I remember how awed I felt when I saw the portrait of JFK walking and thinking that I'd seen in a million photos. I'm sorry your tour was sullied by Trumpy BS.
Another fun thing we did that trip: a Capitol tour. We got to ride on the Senator's Subway and I even went through Orin Hatch's trash 😂
Portraits of Trump also adorn the walls of the women's restrooms in his properties. I think I'd have trouble peeing.
What strikes me about Biff’s portrait is that his facial position and expression looks just like Trump’s official “angry tough guy” presidential portrait. Eerie.