Just announced: this month of December has been the worst in the stock market since 1931, a low point in the Great Depression.
At the same time, things have sure been hopping in the Oval Office. On Thursday all this happened in just one morning:
.....Resignation of the Secretary of State ;
.....Rising specter of the government shutting down because Trump demands $5 billion for his stupid wall.
What does all this turmoil in just one morning really tell us?
Answer: just ask yourself who made each of these thing happen?
Trump did.
So our next question should be "why"?
And the answer? He is trying to distract attention from something else very, very big.
He used up a lot of chips yesterday from his "Distraction" cabinet. Why so many? Why now? What is he distracting us from? Anybody got a guess?
How about money? After all, it's the most important factor in Trump's existence.
In spite of the stock market's appalling drop this month, the economy is still - at least for now - doing pretty well. But "the economy is doing well" isn't enough for Trump's supporters. It could be just one man's opinion. And to Trump's slogan-level supporters, it's vague.
By contrast the stock market numbers are clear and sharp. They are a method of measurement no doubt strongly persuasive to Trump's supporters. A simple and simple-minded point of reference.
That's the irony here. Trump has chosen his base from among those who are simplistic in their thinking. Now he is about to be hoisted by his own petard. If the market stays down, he's toast because his simple-minded supporters look to a simplistic measurement.
Further adding to Trump's current distress is that he may be about to slide out of his favorite boasting territory, the kindergarten land of I'm-so-much-better-than-Obama. The landscape in his brand of la-la-land has shifted mightily, as a current article shows: "The Dow’s performance since Trump took office is now significantly less than what was achieved at the same point in Barack Obama’s presidency. The Dow is up 18 percent under Trump, compared with 45 percent at this point under Obama...." (As stocks drop, Trump fears he’s losing his best argument for
reelection)
If almost everybody is very nervous because of yesterday's events and the slip-and-slide of the stock market recently, maybe they can take some comfort from the fact that Trump is perhaps the most worried and unnerved of all. But I don't think that Trump's panic and distress should offer us any comfort.
In fact, they should make us even more concerned about what comes next. What will he do to regain his unwarranted sense of almost dictator power?
Use a nuclear weapon somewhere?
These are worrisome times. But may I suggest an answer? For now - in this Christmas season - have some faith. Say some prayers. And turn your thoughts away from Trump, the nasty ugly fat guy, and think instead about that jovial and kindly plump man we call Santa. His name is actually Saint Nicholas. As someone has pointed out, it is quite appropriate for us to ask him to help us get rid of Trump. For one thing, he is a saint. And he would not be above helping in a desperate political situation.
We tend to think of politics as nasty mean little stuff unworthy of our attention or that of the saints, forgetting that Christ was crucified by the Romans because He presented a threat to their political power. Politics has been around a long time. It's part of the fabric of life.
If you're a believer in something other than Christianity or are a non-believer, consider how awful Trump is and join others of us in seeking "outside help", in fact help of any kind, wherever we can get it!
So, yes, Virginia, there is indeed a Santa and he'd better bring us the gift of taking Trump away. Come on, Saint Nicolas! Take Trump away before he can rip more children from their mothers' arms and cut food stamps for the hungry.
Having left our appeal on the doorstep of Heaven, we know that Baby Jesus as a newborn was under threat from the horrible Herod and that his little family had to flee into Egypt to escape violence. (Doesn't this sound familiar, like our southern border?) We can hope the Holy Family will join Saint Nicholas in helping us get rid of Trump and thus help the refugees who are coming here for this be their Egypt.
With hope of such help we can now turn away from disgusted consideration of Trump and gaze instead in joy and delight at the festivities and love manifested at Christmas. Love every light on every tree and every gift each person gives another because of love.
Remember all this celebration of joy and love will recur year after year - long, long after Trump is a forgotten footnote.
So may I say, "Merry Christmas" to you, believer or not. And best wishes that surely 2019 will be a happier New Year. And 2020 even a better one! We know Trump is done for because we will not let Trump take away our country. And everybody knows, God helps those who help themselves. So let's get to it.....
But first let us have a wonderful Christmas, one and all!
P.S. Next time: how Trump made the stock market fall.
P.S. P.S. What's a petard?
At the same time, things have sure been hopping in the Oval Office. On Thursday all this happened in just one morning:
.... Announcement that U.S. forces will be pulled out of Syria;
.....Resignation of the Secretary of State ;
.....Rising specter of the government shutting down because Trump demands $5 billion for his stupid wall.
What does all this turmoil in just one morning really tell us?
Answer: just ask yourself who made each of these thing happen?
Trump did.
So our next question should be "why"?
And the answer? He is trying to distract attention from something else very, very big.
He used up a lot of chips yesterday from his "Distraction" cabinet. Why so many? Why now? What is he distracting us from? Anybody got a guess?
How about money? After all, it's the most important factor in Trump's existence.
So far this week the Dow has lost a lot of money. Day after day it has repeatedly dropped about 500 points. Voters think about their 401(k)s and shudder. Including Trump's supporters.
This is the point where Trump's core supporters may start to peal off, finally reaching the end of their loyalty to Trump. Let him shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Trump is right: his supporters wouldn't care. But if he starts costing them money, they are indeed going to care.
This is the point where Trump's core supporters may start to peal off, finally reaching the end of their loyalty to Trump. Let him shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Trump is right: his supporters wouldn't care. But if he starts costing them money, they are indeed going to care.
Because they are just like Trump in their values. As with many Americans, money is far and away their big concern. Even their racism, which is another of their major values, is somewhat money-based. They don't want people of color around in part because people of color generally are paid less than whites and thus, Trump's supporters believe, undercut white wages.
Trump has been counting on a healthy economy and a sky-high stock market to keep him in office. They would, he believes, protect him from impeachment: "You can't impeach a president who has delivered such economic success," he has proudly boasted. They also would, in his view, be his best argument for re-election in 2020.
In spite of the stock market's appalling drop this month, the economy is still - at least for now - doing pretty well. But "the economy is doing well" isn't enough for Trump's supporters. It could be just one man's opinion. And to Trump's slogan-level supporters, it's vague.
By contrast the stock market numbers are clear and sharp. They are a method of measurement no doubt strongly persuasive to Trump's supporters. A simple and simple-minded point of reference.
That's the irony here. Trump has chosen his base from among those who are simplistic in their thinking. Now he is about to be hoisted by his own petard. If the market stays down, he's toast because his simple-minded supporters look to a simplistic measurement.
Further adding to Trump's current distress is that he may be about to slide out of his favorite boasting territory, the kindergarten land of I'm-so-much-better-than-Obama. The landscape in his brand of la-la-land has shifted mightily, as a current article shows: "The Dow’s performance since Trump took office is now significantly less than what was achieved at the same point in Barack Obama’s presidency. The Dow is up 18 percent under Trump, compared with 45 percent at this point under Obama...." (As stocks drop, Trump fears he’s losing his best argument for
reelection)
If almost everybody is very nervous because of yesterday's events and the slip-and-slide of the stock market recently, maybe they can take some comfort from the fact that Trump is perhaps the most worried and unnerved of all. But I don't think that Trump's panic and distress should offer us any comfort.
In fact, they should make us even more concerned about what comes next. What will he do to regain his unwarranted sense of almost dictator power?
Use a nuclear weapon somewhere?
These are worrisome times. But may I suggest an answer? For now - in this Christmas season - have some faith. Say some prayers. And turn your thoughts away from Trump, the nasty ugly fat guy, and think instead about that jovial and kindly plump man we call Santa. His name is actually Saint Nicholas. As someone has pointed out, it is quite appropriate for us to ask him to help us get rid of Trump. For one thing, he is a saint. And he would not be above helping in a desperate political situation.
We tend to think of politics as nasty mean little stuff unworthy of our attention or that of the saints, forgetting that Christ was crucified by the Romans because He presented a threat to their political power. Politics has been around a long time. It's part of the fabric of life.
If you're a believer in something other than Christianity or are a non-believer, consider how awful Trump is and join others of us in seeking "outside help", in fact help of any kind, wherever we can get it!
So, yes, Virginia, there is indeed a Santa and he'd better bring us the gift of taking Trump away. Come on, Saint Nicolas! Take Trump away before he can rip more children from their mothers' arms and cut food stamps for the hungry.
Having left our appeal on the doorstep of Heaven, we know that Baby Jesus as a newborn was under threat from the horrible Herod and that his little family had to flee into Egypt to escape violence. (Doesn't this sound familiar, like our southern border?) We can hope the Holy Family will join Saint Nicholas in helping us get rid of Trump and thus help the refugees who are coming here for this be their Egypt.
With hope of such help we can now turn away from disgusted consideration of Trump and gaze instead in joy and delight at the festivities and love manifested at Christmas. Love every light on every tree and every gift each person gives another because of love.
Remember all this celebration of joy and love will recur year after year - long, long after Trump is a forgotten footnote.
So may I say, "Merry Christmas" to you, believer or not. And best wishes that surely 2019 will be a happier New Year. And 2020 even a better one! We know Trump is done for because we will not let Trump take away our country. And everybody knows, God helps those who help themselves. So let's get to it.....
But first let us have a wonderful Christmas, one and all!
P.S. Next time: how Trump made the stock market fall.
P.S. P.S. What's a petard?
