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Page added on June 9, 2017
Kunstler: Moby Trump
He breached out of the horse latitudes in the Great Sea of Politics last spring and destroyed all the lesser whales with his mighty flukes, but now the Democratic Pequod, with its diverse and inclusive crew has vowed to chase him to the ends of the earth until he spouts black blood and rolls dead out. It’s Moby Trump! Skin your eyes for him men (and women, and intersectional non-binary zhes, theys, and hirs)! Do ye see a Bitcoin nailed to yonder mast? It goes to ye who raises me that whale of white privilege!
Who is Ahab in this story? Why The New York Times, of course. Such is the vastness of its pious obsession with the cosmic malignity of Moby Trump, who chomped off Ahab’s limb — fondly known as Hillary — the last time the Pequod set sail. With Jim Comey as Starbuck, the ever-upright Quaker mate, cool, aloof, marinated in rectitude, yet deadly with his lance.
And so the great American tragedy plays out on C-Span.
Remember, though, that in the original tale penned by the loser (never made a buck) Herman Melville, the white whale sank the Pequod in a final, desperate, whorl of vengeance, while Ahab drowned entwined in his own harpoon lines, pinned upon the very hump of his inscrutable quarry. And I alone am left to tell thee….
So much for literary conceits — and hat tip to Bob Dylan for reminding us, in his just released Nobel valedictory, how much the white whale should mean to us. In this bleak and tawdry age of content-less Kardashian trash, there really are latent cosmic storylines, and this saga of Moby Trump is a tragedy that the Republic perhaps can’t bear to hear: exactly how we destroyed ourselves.
The question is, what will remain of the American polity once the mighty Trump is harpooned, flensed, and boiled down to his essential oils? A great evil vacuum, I predict, rather like Melville’s fabled Norway maelstrom. And within it, everything and everyone in the Deep State will be revealed as hollow and ghostlike, mere revenants of our beloved institutions, including the rule of law.
Impeachment is something that hovers just a bit above and beside the law, founded, as it is, on the vague notion of high crimes and misdemeanors — which can mean anything, really, to parties so determined to wield it. The blundering Trump expressed a hope that a dodgy FBI investigation against General Flynn for conversing with the Russian ambassador (really, he talked with an envoy from a foreign land?) might be laid aside. Well, that could just do the trick, according to Jeffrey Toobin of CNN, legal mouthpiece for “the Resistence.”
I confess that I never considered Mr. Trump — or as I’m fond of calling him, the Golden Golem of Greatness — a horse that was going to finish. I predicted after the election that he would be removed from office by hook or by crook inside of a few months. While I do not align with his antagonists, I consider him unfit for the job he won in an ignominious election against a repulsive opponent. He appears simply to not know what he is doing, and that’s pretty scary at this moment in history when, apparently unbeknownst to purveyors of “news,” and the countless factotums of government — from the larval agency clerks to the preening poobahs of congress to the scheming technocrat overlords of the intel matrix — the nation is poised at the rim of a financial clusterfuck that will make the fall of the Roman Empire look like a small business bankruptcy.
In the meantime, watch as a toxic political tide sweeps away the foundations of a two-hundred-odd year experiment in civil order. Six months from now, nobody will trust anyone or anything, and we may easily see a great deal of kinetic lashing out against each other in the ringing, raging confusion of the political vortex we’ve gleefully ventured into.
19 Comments on "Kunstler: Moby Trump"
joe on Fri, 9th Jun 2017 4:41 pm
It’s all going to start with a row over a tiny country that’s big on gas. Saudi will never back down, if it does then the young crown prince will be removed from office, if that does not go well…
Lets just say, Arabs are famous for their love of revenge.
Cloggie on Fri, 9th Jun 2017 6:35 pm
Illinois downgraded to junk bond status by S&P:
http://www.occidentaldissent.com/2017/06/07/escape-from-illinois-demographics-deficits/
Reason: demographics.
White middle class flees.
makati1 on Fri, 9th Jun 2017 7:14 pm
“… the nation (U$) is poised at the rim of a financial clusterfuck that will make the fall of the Roman Empire look like a small business bankruptcy … a tragedy that the Republic perhaps can’t bear to hear: exactly how we destroyed ourselves.”
That about covers it. Buckle Up!
Apneaman on Fri, 9th Jun 2017 8:11 pm
Clog, white middle class flees? All 12 of them eh?
Apneaman on Fri, 9th Jun 2017 8:16 pm
Nowhere in America can a full-time minimum wage worker afford to rent a two-bedroom apartment
“Downsizing to a one-bedroom will only get you so far on minimum wage. Such housing is affordable in only 12 counties located in Arizona, Oregon and Washington states, according to the report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
You would have to earn $17.14 an hour, on average, to be able to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment in a safe area without having to spend more than 30 percent of your income on housing. Make that $21.21 for a two-bedroom home – nearly three times the federal minimum wage of $7.25.”
http://www.denverpost.com/2017/06/09/minimum-wage-rent-two-bedroom-apartment/
Maybe they can flee too?
Apneaman on Fri, 9th Jun 2017 8:25 pm
William Astore
William J. Astore, a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF), is a TomDispatch regular. He has taught at the Air Force Academy, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the Pennsylvania College of Technology.
America’s Real Red Scare
The Slow-Motion Collapse of the American Empire
“Yes, the U.S. has a Soviet problem, and I’m not referring to the allegations of the moment in Washington:…”
“It involves an erosion of democratic values; the ever-expanding powers exercised by a national security state operating as a shadow government and defined by militarism, surveillance, secrecy, prisons, and other structures of dominance and control; ever-widening gaps between the richest few and the impoverished many; and, of course, ever more weapons, along with ever more wars.
That’s a real red scare, America, and it’s right here in the homeland.”
“This list of Soviet problems, vintage 1986, should have a familiar ring to it, since it sounds uncannily like a description of what’s wrong with the United States today.
In case you think that’s an over-the-top statement, let’s take that list from the briefing — eight points in all — one item at a time.”
-1. An authoritarian, surveillance state:
-2. An economy dependent on global weapons sales:
-3. Bent on nuclear domination:
-4. Imperialist and expansionist:
-5. Persecutes critics and dissidents:
-6. Internal problems like drug abuse, inadequate health care, and a poisoned environment:
-7. Extensive prison systems:
-8. Stalemated wars:
“In light of these eight points, that lighthearted Beatles tune and relic of the Cold War, “Back in the USSR,” takes on a new, and far harsher, meaning.”
http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/176292/tomgram%3A_william_astore%2C_back_in_the_ussr
Apneaman on Fri, 9th Jun 2017 8:29 pm
And the retard of the day award goes to…..
EPD: Suspect allegedly shot man with shotgun shell filled with cereal
Victim declined to press charges
“Glass was booked into the Humboldt County jail for resisting arrest and probation violation.
Investigation reveals that Glass fired a flare gun loaded with a shotgun shell filled with Rice Krispies, according to detectives.”
http://www.krcrtv.com/north-coast-news/epd-suspect-allegedly-shot-man-with-a-shotgun-shell-filled-with-cereal/532087089
Rice Krispies… Snap Crackle Pop….a cap in your ass.
makati1 on Fri, 9th Jun 2017 8:34 pm
An interesting article: “Number Of Potential Migrants Worldwide Tops 700 Million”
Globally, 14% of the world’s adults wish to migrate, with the highest rates seen in sub-Saharan Africa (30%) and areas of Europe outside the European Union (21%), followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (18%), the Middle East and North Africa (19%), the European Union (20%), Commonwealth of Independent States (15%), Australia, New Zealand, Oceania (9%) and North America (10%).”
“The lowest rates were found in Asia, starting with South Asia (8%), East Asia (8%) and Southeast Asia (7%).”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-08/number-potential-migrants-worldwide-tops-700-million
Now isn’t that interesting. And some here believe that Asia is a hell hole that everyone wants out of. LMAO
DerHundistlos on Fri, 9th Jun 2017 11:06 pm
LTC. William Astore is spot on correct in his diagnosis.
Cloggie on Sat, 10th Jun 2017 3:53 am
Dream on Kunstler, the united front against Trump is crumbling. He won’t be chased out of office any time soon. I’m betting on full four years.
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/klimaabkommen-von-paris-die-front-gegen-donald-trump-broeckelt-a-1151412.html
Cloggie on Sat, 10th Jun 2017 4:39 am
Tillerson who has more foreign policy brains than Trump, calls for an end of the blockade of Qatar:
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/katar-us-aussenminister-rex-tillerson-fordert-ende-der-blockade-a-1151508.html
But far more important is the attitude of Turkey, that even goes so far as to send troops and effectively blocking possible Saudi lust for conquest:
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-06-09/turkeys-erdogan-approves-troop-deployment-to-qatar
Turkey is asserting itself as the de facto leader of the Middle-East. I doubt it that KSA will risk military confrontation with Turkey.
And always overlooked is that this so-called Sunni-Shia divide, although it does exist, mostly in Iraq, is generally exaggerated. The core Sunni and Shia countries, Turkey and Iran respectively, have reasonable relations and zero interest in antagonizing the divide.
The Sunni-Shia divide is mostly exploited by Washington in an attempt to keep KSA setting up against US arch foe Iran.
It could very well be that Turkey and Iran together would confront KSA if it would attempt to overrun money bag Qatar.
The “House of Saud” has only one real supporter and that is Washington (as a proxy of Israel). Both Turkey and Iran wouldn’t mind if the Muslim Brotherhood would take over in Riyadh from these “princes” and kiss America’s role in the Middle East goodbye.
JuanP on Sat, 10th Jun 2017 4:47 am
“I consider him unfit for the job he won in an ignominious election”. Was Clinton fit for the job or was he a corrupted, selfish prick? What about Reagan, the mediocre ACTOR? Was Nixon decent or honest enough? Was Carter smart enough? Was Obama not a spineless coward? And isn’t George W. Bush a borderline retard? I think the last fit US President, and one of the very few, was JFK and the deep state iced him for it. Most US Presidents were unfit. Could a person fit for the job possibly want to become US President? I don’t think anyone smart, educated, realistic, sane, and honest enough to make a good president could possibly want the job. It would be suicidal! There has to be something wrong with anyone who wants to become US President!
Cloggie on Sat, 10th Jun 2017 5:11 am
It is completely unclear what the US role is in Syria and it can be hypothesized that not even the Americans have an idea what they are doing in Syria. Nevertheless the Russian army staged a press conference reporting large gains by the Assad army and that they have reached the Southern border with Iraq, once the ISIS heartland, but not any more:
http://russia-insider.com/en/military/breaking-syrian-army-has-reached-iraqi-border-cutting-americans-al-tanf-russian-mod/ri20066
Perhaps that the old Syria is going to be largely restored, except for the Northern border region with Turkey. ISIS is clearly on the way out, with Mosul falling soon. Iraq could also be largely restored. Only the Kurds have a good chance that they will achieve a large degree of autonomy, much to the chagrin of Turkey.
Cloggie on Sat, 10th Jun 2017 5:21 am
The latest military map of Syria:
http://s.newsweek.com/sites/www.newsweek.com/files/styles/embed-lg/public/2017/06/03/rtx361ih.jpg
ISIS almost gone, only the “moderate rebels” are holding out.
This is how the new Syria could look like in the near future: Euprates rives becoming the final border river between Syria and Kurdistan. The next Assad target is “liberating” the entire border with Iraq up to Albu Kamal. The Iraqi army is doing the same. The Idlib area will be contested but could also fall back again to Assad.
Cloggie on Sat, 10th Jun 2017 6:20 am
Here we have deep stater Paul Krugman, in total despair with Donald Trump:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/09/opinion/donald-trump-health-care-bill.html?_r=0
Now if you are a self-respecting European American nothing is better than see the likes of Krugman in a state of deep despair. After all this is the same Krugman who in 2014 gloated in far away Norway…
https://www.nrk.no/urix/–amerikansk-politikk-er-galskap-1.11457779
… about the impending demise of white America, after the Krugmans of this world have been engaged in a war against white America for over a century now and scored their major victory over the WASPs in 1965 when they, after they wasted JFK first, opened up the borders of America for the masses of the first world.
http://www.kevinmacdonald.net/immigration.pdf
Skip to the last minute of the Norwegian video to hear Krugman gloat about the demise of white America:
A lot of the craziness comes from cultural/ethnic issues—rural White Americans who feel they are losing their country, and they are right. They are losing their country. In the end, the power they now have will go away, but it’s a very difficult and dangerous time until then. The future is represented by Mayor Bill DeBlasio of New York, “but Ted Cruz of Texas is still out there.”
Krugman had it right, the dangerous time is NOW. The unexpected happened and European American did indeed come up with an alpha male that defied Washington and its deep state and is indeed “wrecking the ship of state”.
And nothing could be better for European America.
joe on Sat, 10th Jun 2017 9:55 am
Trump is good for Trump, thats all, he’s a marshmallow scared to call a spade a spade, now he picked the smallest weakest possible Arab country and he plans to sacrifice them to Satan so that the Saudis can say it wasn’t us, it was them, but we know it was them, we from the 48 pages, and Clintons hacked e – mails, it was Saudi AND Qatar, a Jordanian pilot was burned alive because of them, 3 planes were brought down on one day in the US because of them, and they are backed by America and its allies. Its a truly fucked up world my friend.
bobinget on Sat, 10th Jun 2017 1:13 pm
Joe, Correction: Saudi (and US) began bombing Yemen three years ago. Yemen, the poorest of Arab nations.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/yemen-war-deaths-cholera-epidemic-dying-every-hour-a7782341.html
What Saudi food and medicine embargoes
blockades have yet accomplished, Cholera, starvation, will do for them.
The fact is, if Saudi can’t win in Yemen what chance does it have against Qatar’s modern weapons. Mercenary, Turkish troops.
The facts are clear.
The Saudi payed off DJT with flattery and bribery.
DerHundistlos on Sat, 10th Jun 2017 5:05 pm
JuanP,
If intelligence is your criteria, “Was Carter smart enough?”, Carter possesses an IQ of 176. How do we know this is truthful? For the simple reason Jimmy Carter was the most honest and principled person to occupy the office. Carter is the ONLY president to, at the request of the press corp., release his official IQ score as promulgated by the US Navy as he was being evaluated to captain a nuclear attack submarine. And, yes, Carter’s IQ is in excess to that of your favorite president, Kennedy.
dooma on Tue, 13th Jun 2017 2:35 am
IMHO, Carter was one of the better choices of President. The rest are a bunch of clowns except for JFK.