Trump

Arts and Crafts

The Kennedy 

Center

is long 

gone-

I mean,

politically

speaking.

And performing

arts

losing a home

to the world’s

greatest

is the latest

version

of Trump’s 

subversion,

and submersion

into 

the absurd.

By now

you’ve heard

the drip,

drip, 

drip

as he tightens

his grip

on what 

we thought

was a blip,

while he tries

to flip

The Center.

Bulldozers

seen

on the scene

make it seem

like he’s

demolishing

anyway,

regardless

of what

any court

might

say.

He’ll have

his day

someday,

maybe.

Meanwhile,

a pile

of rubble

causing

all sorts 

of trouble,

may seem

minor

compared

to the war

against Iran,

but he does

what he can

because 

he can.

He’s a 

crafty

guy.

Why are

the arts

so dangerous

that history’s

most outrageous

autocrats

limited

or suppressed

what was

creatively

expressed,

and then

they professed

how useless

the arts are?

We’ve been

convinced

that the arts

are superfluous,

and despite

the gifted

and talented

artists

who live

among us,

we allow

them

to starve.

Robert Frost

recited

“The Gift

Outright”

at JFK’s

inauguration.

Later, Kennedy

remarked,

“When power

corrupts,

poetry

cleanses,

for art 

establishes

the basic

human truths

which must

serve

as the touchstones

of our judgement.”

No wonder

Trump

wants

to destroy

The Kennedy

Center-

both figuratively

and literally.

He will

never have

the honor

of The Kennedy

Center,

just

obedience

for each 

grievance.

He wants

to put

the cult

in culture,

but he’s

merely

a vulture,

feeding on

decay.

I ask you

today

to support

your local

arts community.

The arts

build

communities.

We

can be

the real

builders.

The Living Will

Nuclear disaster

seemed faster

than 

we could master

until deterrence

prevented

such occurrence

(thus far).

The inconvenient

truth

known by 

youth

is that the climate

is changing

and rearranging

our lives

and will affect

who survives

on earth.

Before the fall

we had

it all;

an eden

or so

we thought.

We had a system

with much 

wisdom

but also some

problems

too long

ignored.

Bored of

compromise

and the exercise

of sacrifice,

it would

suffice

to kick

the can

down the

road.

Now 

the road’s

end

seems visible,

which is

nothing less

than unbearably

miserable.

The dead

end

would not

just be

individual,

but global

if Artificial

Intelligence

renders 

humans’

irrelevance

to evolution’s

preference.

Every cliché

describes

today

as humanity

stares at

calamity

pending;

an ending

most

heartrending

as humans

and earth

will be worth

nothing,

if we 

do 

nothing.

We are surely

living in

an historical

epoch;

an epic

one,

at that.

But more

than just

a new

technology

transforming

capabilities,

the possibilities

of AI’s

utilities,

along with

our vulnerabilities,

are inevitabilities

as always,

demanding

our consideration.

It seems

to me 

that intelligence

can’t have

independence

from life.

The dinosaur

did not know

if a meteor

could be 

coming for 

its end.

We are not

the equivalent,

and need not

be ambivalent

about 

evolution

that we forgot

has got

us within.

The current 

administration,

socially

Darwinian

and authoritarian,

focuses in

on their

version

of survival

of the fittest.

And we’ve

all witnessed

the biggest 

loser,

perpetual

abuser,

use politics,

despite

the critics

and analytics,

ignorant

of high school

civics,

to ignore

the hazards

ahead.

The zero

sum game

that we use

to frame

our politics

creates

eternal

conflicts.

We know

the game

and the system,

and the eternal

victim

who is gaming

the system

merely for his

advantage.

Change

is current

and more

than we know,

so why not

make it

currency

for the urgency

of our concerns?

We tend 

to see

patterns

as stability

and sometimes

forget 

our ability

to imagine.

We are

to evolution

as the wave

is to the ocean.

We’re in

perpetual

motion,

though we 

still 

feel still.

What will

the living

be giving

the future?

How can we

necessitate

“do not

resuscitate”?

What interventions

can serve as 

preventions

or mitigate

the worst

extensions?

The solutions

to overwhelm

and apprehensions

are actions.

The knowledge

of Artificial

Intelligence

is not a

license

for passivity.

Cognitive elasticity

allows for

adaptivity,

a necessity

for life.

So for all

the strife,

individually

and between

each county,

we’d better

find a better

way

to genuinely

solve problems.

The living

will 

affect what

living is.

How will

you?

Flight of Fancy

Like

A “Hard Day’s Night”,

the president’s 

flight

had him

on the run,

escaping through

Air Force One

to hide

inside

a catering 

truck.

What luck!

The image 

though,

is the stuff

of late night

or a cartoon

with a buffoon

hiding

under

a sliding

cart 

with a white

cloth

and a metal

cloche.

The ever-gauche

president

had to

not be

evident

for fear

of an attempt

on his life.

Imagine his

face 

in his hiding

place,

surrounded

by Diet Coke

and snacks.

Attacks

potential

and real

are part

of the deal

of the presidency,

and hastily

finding

safety

must

always

be available.

This

episode

showed

the unassailable

Trump

catering 

to himself

differently

than he usually

does

because 

this flight

was someone

else’s fancy.

Miller’s Crossing

He gave 

the green 

light

to expedite

what might

be among

our most

shameful

policies.

With no

apologies,

the traffic

stops

continue

with a view

to a kill.

ICE agents

pick

immigrants

at traffic 

stops,

as per 

Steven Miller’s 

program.

Lacking

required

body cam,

or just

not turning

it on,

these agents

of the government

have managed

to kill

innocent

victims

of this

harassment.

Yet another

incident-

2 over

the last

week.

A brief pause

in the strategy

only to be

tragically

reimplemented

by only

this demented

administration,

because

halting immigration

at all costs

is the priority.

The policy

of traffic stops

was suspended

very briefly

before reinstating,

chiefly

for being

afraid 

of appearing

weak.

Miller’s fear

of immigrants

and Trump’s

and the rest

of his malcontents’

have crossed

all lines

of acceptability.

Citizens

want immigration

reform,

but not in 

its current

form.

We now

have a system

of immigration

that keeps

those

without

documentation 

deportable

and outside

protections

of labor

law.

Traditionally,

Republicans

have focused 

on security

(aka deportation),

and Dems

have focused

on

legalization

when taking

on immigration.

But these

policies

should not

compete;

they

could meet

at an intersection.

What have

been

competing

policies

are each

and both 

necessities.

The best

direction

would be

leading

to legalization

WITH

a better,

preferably 

nonviolent,

security

enforcement.

James Talarico,

a Dem senate

candidate

from

Texas,

likes to say

what sounds

like progress,

“Our border

should be

like a front 

porch-

it should have

a welcome

mat

out front

and a lock

on the door.”

A community

living in

uncertainty

is certainly

in fear.

It’s clear 

that fear

is the object

of Miller’s

project,

as he projects

the threat

upon 

not-yet

documented

immigrants.

So ICE
is set

to impose

the threat

and get

those 

they suspect,

where

roads

intersect

at a red

light.

MIller

wanted

crossing

the border

to be

an issue

of law 

and order

if it only

means

security

to satisfy

his insecurity

that this

country

is overtaken

by those 

who are

liminal

and therefore

criminal.

6 deaths

“accidental”,

or for

alleged

self defense

against

defenseless

drivers

committing

no offense

in those 

moments

beyond

documents

in question,

as the

traffic stops

continue

at Miller’s

crossing.

The New Colossus

I just returned

from

the land

of the Golem,

(a sort of 

Frankenstein,

that predates

the Shelley

tale),

where 

the Soviet

and Nazi

lost to

democracy,

and memory

is preserved

not erased.

The Golem

of medieval

fantasy

was initially

created

as a magical

protector.

It (he)

was large

and clumsy,

slow-witted,

and soulless;

immune

to conventional

weapons

or pain.

(Sound familiar?)

It would become

eventual

that this 

folk hero

would grow

fearsome

and violent,

which meant

its destruction;

a lesson

we keep

needing

to learn.

We tend

to yearn

for 

a protector

and champion:

strong-

even masculine-

forgetting

that subletting

power

weakens

us.

“The New Colossus”,

by Emma Lazarus,

was the poem

befitting

Lady Liberty.

The Mother

of Exiles

whose torch

is a beacon

of light

for the weary-

quite

a contrast

to the dreary

giant man.

Trump is a

hulking,

clumsy,

dimwitted,

soulless

(faux)

protector,

whose power’s

run

amok

with endless

luck;

a new colossus

for us

in the worst

way.

But for America’s

semi-

quincentennial

birthday,

I say,

remember

anew

“The New

Colossus”:

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”

as us.

Our strengths

are not

artificial intelligence

(though with regulation,

such sensation

could be transformational).

By 250,

we

need to

grow up!

The New Colossus

is not this monstrous

idiot.

It’s the generous,

creative spirit

that is 

inspired by

and of 

liberty;

not irresponsibility,

but human

dignity,

integrity,

and decency,

with liberty,

and justice

for all.

The Friends and Family Plan

His Friends

and Family Plan,

paid for

by each 

American

citizen,

will be

a slush fund

of $1.8 billion

for those 

who have

suffered

“weaponization”,

is his

master plan

of corruption.

It may be

in his DNA,

and this is

the ultimate

NDA,

the ultimate

American

exceptionalism

for him.

His slush

fund

to shield

him

from any

audit or tax

tracks

with 

everything

he’s tried

so far:

Enriching

himself

and his allies

as he tries

to use 

the Justice 

Department

to enforce

his lies

and schemes,

while continuing

the rewriting

of history,

encouraging

and enabling

attacks 

on Congress,

physically,

verbally,

and ideologically,

while circumventing

governing.

A one-man

weapon

of mass

destruction,

whose

corruption

knows

no bounds.

And what

happens

when

the violent

men-

Proud Boys

and Oath

Keepers

having

been convicted

after having

inflicted

violence

without 

penitence

some having

started

to serve

a sentence,

get paid

a reward

for their

subservience

to him?

Will he

have

a private

militia?

The ex-cons

and The Con Man

need his 

Friends and Family

Plan

to keep

themselves

protected.

With a cadre

of the rejected,

disaffected,

and closely

connected

he’d like

this corrected

permanently

so that he

will never

pay,

and those

who opposed

him

will

foot 

the bill.

Only

a criminal

would

devise

such

a scheme

to make it

seem

like 

he is all

powerful.

He may

be 

a Strongman

but he is

a weak,

weak

person.

Xi Wiz

It’s not all

show biz

when leaders

meet.

This is

what it 

looks like

when he

takes a seat

alongside

actual

political

foes.

He knows

little

to nothing

other than

schmoozing.

When things

get serious,

he gets caught

snoozing.

His instinct

for greed

has helped

him succeed

and he knows

everyone

has the need

for more.

American interests

are not interesting

unless it means

acquiring-

his definition

of aspiring,

and therefore

(he thinks)

more inspiring

than actual

geopolitical

strategizing.

Of course

the economic

part 

is part 

of the art

of the deal,

so even this

shlemiel

can claim

it.

But reversing

Steinem’s

aphorism,

for him,

the political

is personal.

What’s in it

for him

to win

(and call it

American),

as successful

as he’s been,

has been

terrible

for the country

and the rest

of The West.

He fails

each test

to best

each 

global

rival;

each regime’s

survival

in tact.

In fact,

his numbers

plummet

after

a summit,

where his

foe 

understood

Trump’s 

show biz.

I’m sure

Trump is

pissed,

but will

persist

because

he’ll 

never

admit

defeat.

Like those

old

loudmouth

commercials,

“Nobody 

Beats

The Wiz”,

his 

brand will

expire,

(he’ll never

retire),

but will

his ire

trump

Xi’s

strategy?

The American

Tragedy

has been

self inflicted

by 

the guy

afflicted by

arrested

development,

whose 

envelopment

has been

incomprehensible.

Even worse,

the reprehensible,

once untenable,

is the new

normal.

Xi

seemed 

like he

was 

a wiz

at his game,

while

the stable

genius

gave us….????

The Correspondent

In a novel

attempt

to preempt

the event

of the President

and

DC

correspondents,

there were shots

fired

and lots

of confusion

over an

intrusion

at the 

White House

Correspondents’

Dinner,

making everyone 

nervous

before

salad

service.

The Secret

Service

rushed

the dais

and escorted

the POTUS,

FLOTUS,

and VIPS,

while

everyone

else,

with

unease,

exited

safely,

except

the uninvited

guest

correspondent

whose message

is not yet

clear.

Nowhere

near

the President’s

ear,

this incident

was different.

Still,

the ability 

to break

through

security

when everybody

who is

anybody

in DC

was present

as either

a correspondent

or close

to the 

President,

seems

less incredible

than inevitable

that some

violent

message

would be

deliverable.

Thankfully,

it was 

quelled

immediately

with the 

gunman

taken away

in custody.

A night 

dedicated

to freedom

of speech

began 

with

a security

breech

and then

each 

correspondent

ready

to present

a story

of the evening’s

terrifying

event.

Freedom

of speech

and press—

all there

to report

the mess.

I’m sure

the shooter’s

intent

was not

meant

to highlight

the role

of the

correspondent.

It almost

seems 

an elegant

message.

He Has A Dream

With the Iran

war

going on,

it would seem

unseemly,

but upon

reflection,

the GC

of DC

and the country,

has gone 

to the Mall

and what

he saw

in 

The Reflecting Pool

was filth.

“…the water’s

disgusting

looking….

It’s not

representative

of our country.”

Between 

the Lincoln

Memorial

and the 

Washington

Monument,

the Narcissus

President

saw in the 

water mirror

an image 

of him

that couldn’t

be nearer

to the truth.

A broken

foundation

filled with 

scum,

ummmmm….

yeah,

that’s the bum

he sees.

Our country’s

riddled

with problems

thanks

to him,

so he called

a contractor

for people

who swim

to renovate

at a great

rate,

and paint

it

“American

Flag

Blue”.

Through

mass demonstrations

and inspirations

the National

Mall

has been a space

for all 

our pride

and catharsis.

It’s a marker

for the best

of us,

which the rest

of us

share reflectively.

MLK’s

“I Have A Dream”

speech

continues

to teach

all humanity.

And the epic

54-ton

tapestry,

with more than

100,000

individual names,

a reminder

of human

dignity,

the largest

community

arts project

in history,

The AIDS

Memorial

Quilt,

helped tilt

the country

more toward

compassion

and action

in fighting

AIDS.

Maintaining

the Reflecting

Pool

is Old School;

it wasn’t

the subject

of a personal

reno project.

The dirt

Trump sees

does not

reflect US.

He’s right

about that

much.

But with such

a story

of restored

glory

and his

construction 

projects,

he deflects

from

the real scum

he sees,

his dream

that frees

him 

to govern

by whim

and greed

believing

that no one

can succeed

his

Triumphal

Arch.

Fat Jesus

The ever hilarious,

gregarious,

never nefarious,

POTUS,

posed as

Jesus,

the healer,

using AI,

to defy

the pope.

In his social

media

rope-a-dope,

the actual

dope

lashed out

at the pope,

saying that

he is “WEAK

on crime,

and terrible

on Foreign

Policy.” 

The blasphemy,

you see,

was really

just

a joke;

he was

actually

a doctor

in a 

lab coat

(channeling

remote

energy

through

a golden

orb

so the sick

could

absorb

HIS light).

This oh so

humorous

reaction

and its 

swift

retraction

followed

Pope Leo’s

Palm Sunday

statement

that God

“does not 

listen

to the prayers

of those

who wage

war.”

I believe that 

was for 

Pete Hegseth

who constantly

invoketh

not only

death

by glory

but

holy

war

(for US,

not them).

Pope Leo

has criticized

harsh treatments

of immigrants

as well 

as Trump’s

war in Iran.

Such a fan

of Christianity,

Trump’s hilarity

as you know,

always

falls flat.

Jesus

is fat

in the Trump

bible,

in the gospel

according

to social

media.

John Lennon

said

way back when,

that 

The Beatles

were 

bigger

than Jesus.

Trump’s

Jesus

is even

bigger

of course,

because

he has no

remorse.

He’s fat

and fatuous,

and certainly

no Jesus,

despite claims

that he “alone

can fix it”.