Week of Trumpster Fires
Tuesday Elections, Tariff Tax, Social Security, Musk Melon

From @pubity on TikTok:

Leading us to blogging wisdom from the usual suspects:

  • The Beaverton reports from the Mediterranean as Greeks celebrate the results of Trump’s first weeks in office.

    They are no longer the civilization that has fallen the furthest.

  • The editor of the Yale Review has finally broken the code. He has the Trump tariffs figured out.

    It’s the moral equivalent of tariff rates set by magic 8 ball.

  • Someone on social media, I don’t remember who (okay so I’m old), explained it this way:

    S’pose I notice I’m short on eggs. I want to bypass the price-gouging conglomerates, so I visit my friend the local farmer.
    I pay him $7.00 for a couple dozen. Not too bad this season.

    He mentions his ancient jalopy is about shot. Not worth repairing anymore.
    My car runs great but it’s a decade old and I’m planning to upgrade.
    So I sell my car to him for $700. I could sell it somewhere for more, but he’s a friend.

    Here’s the Trump theory:
    The difference between what my farmer friend paid me and what I paid him is…
    (Lessee, 700 minus 7? Come on, let’s not always see the same hands!)
    …$693, right.
    So Trump says I cheated my friend out of $693. See how that works?

    My President has a solution!
    He adds a tax of $693!

    So, instead of $700, the farmer pays $1395, with $693 going to Trump’s gummint.
    My friend yells What the HEY! (being he’s a Christian).
    Trump explains: It’s to stop me from cheating my friend.

    Everybody got that?

  • There is nothing like vaudeville:

    The stupidity in Trump’s new tariffs is apparently limitless.

    He has introduced a 10% tariff on the British Indian Ocean Territory.

    The only inhabited island there is Diego Garcia, home to US service personnel.

    TRUMP HAS PUT A TARIFF ON A US MILITARY BASE

    🤡

    [image or embed]

    — News Eye (@newseye.bsky.social) April 2, 2025 at 5:54 PM

  • About tariffs, Brian Beutler speculates on why Trump would do something so spectacularly dumb.

    Key tariff motive:
    They’re extremely stupid. They’re so dumb they have people genuinely wondering if Trump has some devious ulterior motive for being so destructive. Is he trying to wreck the economy so he and his billionaire buddies can buy up its valuables in a fire sale? Did Vladimir Putin tell him this would be a good idea? I guess I wouldn’t rule anything out, but I suspect the answer is much dumber. Trump likes to set up situations where he can snap his fingers and things change, it makes him feel powerful.

    Key Trump character
    He’s a bit like a townie who starts to talk, dress, and act like a mobster after watching The Godfather, because the Corleones seemed so strong, and had so much money. Not an uncommon interpretation of the movie, particularly among unthinking men! But the point is that it misses the point. And Trump isn’t playing dress-up. He’s causing immense damage to the world.

  • This aspect of the Trump Tariff Tax is a little like Sherlock Holmes and The Dog that Didn’t Bark.

    From The Adventure of Silver Blaze:

    Gregory (Scotland Yard detective):
    Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?
    Holmes:
    To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.
    Gregory:
    The dog did nothing in the night-time.
    Holmes:
    That was the curious incident.

    Hackwhackers reviews the list of countries and new tariffs and notices a curious absence.

    Key curiosity:
    Did anyone really think the Malignant Fascist would slap a tariff on his puppetmaster Putin?

  • driftglass figures out why Trump expects gratitude for the tariffs.

    It could have been worse.

  • What if you applied expensive tariffs on everyone, but could spare specific companies whose CEOs were somehow especially persuasive?

    tengrain at Mock Paper Scissors speculates on the corrupt selling of exemptions, after Trump tries not to answer questions on tariffs, deflecting instead into his extensive shopping experience:

  • In most cases, Trump tariffs are not reciprocal in the sense having any degree of proportion. Some of the reasoning has to do with trade deficits, as if producers in other countries are unfairly good at what they do, and attract US customers with low prices or better quality (Ruthless bastards!!).

    Julian Sanchez explains that MAGA thought doesn’t need to use sound reasoning.

    In a way, inventing numbers to pretend other countries are charging us imaginary tariffs is of a piece with the tried-and-tested MAGA strategy: Pick someone you want to hurt, and make up some way they are attacking you to rationalize the harm you inflict on them.

    — Julian Sanchez (@normative.bsky.social) April 2, 2025 at 6:18 PM

    If you don’t like a group, that is reason enough.

    Do trans people make you feel icky and confused? Say they’re grooming children. Don’t like seeing a lot of brown faces in the neighborhood? Say they’re terrorists and gang members.

    — Julian Sanchez (@normative.bsky.social) April 2, 2025 at 6:21 PM

    The actual motive is often separate from the rationale

    Again and again, the animosity comes first, and then a supposed offense the hated group committed is invented to justify harming them. It doesn’t have to be credible, because they’re people the intended audience already wants to hurt.

    — Julian Sanchez (@normative.bsky.social) April 2, 2025 at 6:24 PM

    And, of course, news coverage will remain lazy and shallow:

    I am lamentably certain that 90% of the reporting on this is going to say something like “some experts disputed the methodology used to calculate foreign tariffs” rather than “Trump made up a bunch of nonsense numbers to justify his policy, and they’re all 10x-20x higher than the real numbers.”

    — Julian Sanchez (@normative.bsky.social) April 2, 2025 at 5:43 PM

  • Dave Dubya ponders the no-limits capacity of some Americans to believe, unconditionally believe, the unbelievable tales emanating from Trump’s fevered brain.

  • Infidel753 sees a day of successful protest at Tesla locations, and combines it with a brief rundown on good news from Wisconsin.

  • Vixen Strangely listens to Elon Musk accuse his opponents of paying protestors to rage against him, and buyers to boycott his cars, while he illegally pays voters to vote for his candidates in Wisconsin.

    Vixen suggests an alternative. Protestors may not need to be bribed to dislike Elon. It’s possible.

    Key incredulity:
    Because when you and your little DOGE gremlins are cutting aid to starving kids, Meals on Wheels, costing thousands of people their livelihoods and prancing about with a little chainsaw because BRRRR CUTTING GOOD!, people need a monetary reason to make them mad–right?

  • So Elon Musk is indignant that anyone would be small minded enough to wish financial setbacks on him:

    Musk: I mean, have you Tim Walz, who is a huge jerk, running on stage with the Tesla stock price.. What an evil thing to do. What a creep, what a jerk. Like who derives joy from that?

    [image or embed]

    — Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) March 28, 2025 at 6:22 PM

    Dave Columbo generously donates three minutes to explain it to him:
     

  • Tommy Christopher brings us the CNN analysis on Tuesday’s election results. Main lesson: Musk is political poison!

  • After Tuesday’s stunning defeat for conservatives The Borowitz Report carries Elon Musk’s furious demand that Wisconsin issue him a refund.

  • Ted McLaughlin at jobsanger reviews Tuesday’s elections and wonders if Republicans can read the writing on the wall.

  • Wisconsin conservative James Wigderson laments Tuesday’s result and correctly ascribes it a referendum on Trump and Musk.

    He adds this after the losing candidate graciously concedes:

    Unfortunately, we have reached the point in our democracy when doing the bare minimum of accepting the results has become praiseworthy. Perhaps other Republicans will learn from Schimel’s example.

  • M. Bouffant at Web of Evil translates the links as Elon Musk promises to demolish and rebuild the Social Security system.

  • News Corpse sees Fox network personalities characterize retirees worried about monthly income as unpatriotic.

    Key seditious complaint:

    Harris Faulkner on how Trump should talk to "401k people" worried about tariffs hurting them: "Look, when this nation used to go to war, people in this country would support the war effort with their materials at home and making things for weaponry. We have to do 100% buy in over this bumpy period"

    [image or embed]

    — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) April 1, 2025 at 11:52 AM

  • PZ Myers looks at coming health policies from the incoming NIH Director as more possible pandemics loom:

  • The Propaganda Professor has developed a list of stupid of the week

    Key inclusion:

    U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (another billionaire, natch) declared that if his mother-in-law (who is 94) didn’t receive her Social Security check, she wouldn’t call and complain; but that the callers are those committing fraud.

    President Elon Musk echoed that delusion, claiming that 40 percent of callers to the Social Security help line are fraudsters.

    Key first item:

    Top of the list, of course, is the Signal chat. Everyone involved. Not to worry, though, the whole shit show is going to be investigated. By Elon Musk. No, really.

  • Juliet at Decoding Fox News watched:

    • Fox & Friends
    • The Five
    • The Ingraham Angle
    • Special Report with Bret Baier – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday
    • Jesse Watters Primetime – Monday & Tuesday
    • Hannity – Monday & Tuesday

    Whew!

    There was a common theme in dealing with recent Defense Department sharing, by accident, a discussion (in commercial chat) of secret attack plans with a journalist.

    All Fox panels and hosts discussed at length what were supposedly equivalent or even worse wrongdoing by Democrats and other Trump critics.

    Key evil Democrat:
    Hillary Clinton – the ultimate liberal, corrupt, establishment, progressive, uppity, corporatist, doormat wife, scheming Machiavellian, crusher of souls, and wannabe dictator…

  • At The Onion, Pete Hegseth calls for steep cuts in the number of steps to AA recovery.

    Key ideal:
    Ideally, we’ll cut it down to one step—praying or whatever it is. That’s a 92% savings in steps.

  • Nan’s Notebook finds Trump’s capacity for caring about others in his astonishing depth of empathy for the thousands killed by earthquake in Myanmar.

    Key compassion:
    One would think there would be, at minimum, a mention or words of sympathy. (But of course we’re talking about Trump here.)

  • They may seem like separate spheres with separate issues involving separate people, but Jason Linkins suggests Signalgate can provide Democrats a case study in how to take down Elon Musk.

    Key Review:
    The second Trump era is something of an exercise in natural consequences. What happens if you put the most flamboyantly stupid goons in charge of everything? The results will neither surprise nor confound you: It is an absolute omnishambles.

    Key Law of nature:
    Conflict creates content. The media beast may be cynical, but it is reliable—and if you feed it enough antagonism, it will hand over the headlines. Given the opportunity to get down to some good old-fashioned battering of Republicans, the outrage of Democrats got, and held, the media’s attention.

  • Iron Knee at Political Irony goes definitional, pointing out that when Trumpers are opposed to DEI, they often depart from what’s in the dictionary.

  • Ant Farmer’s Almanac reads a Trump Executive Order that finally has the virtue of clarity: “Just Fire Anyone You Wouldn’t Want Your Sister Bringing Home for Thanksgiving”

  • Senator Cory Booker held his filibuster this week.

    Those of my generation had long ago become used to the concept. Filibusters of my youth were designed to be time wasters solely for the purpose of delay and disruption. Salad recipes and instructions on frying oysters were read into the record. Works of literature were read aloud.

    This turned out to be different. I heard bits and pieces of Booker’s long talk. No time wasting. He stayed on topic.

    He was genuine, speaking from the heart.
    And his eloquence was compelling.

    In Letters from an American, historian Heather Cox Richardson recounts some of the major themes and some of the reaction.

    Key urgency:
    “This is our moral moment. This is when the most precious ideas of our country are being tested…. Where does the Constitution live, on paper or in our hearts?”

    Key recurring theme:
    Throughout his speech, Booker emphasized the power of the American people. He told their stories and read their letters. And he urged them to stand up for the country. “In this democracy,” he said, “the power of people is greater than the people in power.”

    Key reception:
    According to Washington Post technology reporter Drew Harwell, before he was through, Booker’s speech had been liked on TikTok 400 million times.

    Key aftereffect:
    The people spoke today in special elections. Republican candidates in Florida won by about 14 points in each of two U.S. House races, but just five months ago, Republicans won those seats by 30 and 37 points. It appears that voters are angry at the Republican Party.

    In Wisconsin, the state supreme court race showed a similar dynamic. The candidate endorsed by President Trump and backed by more than $20 million from Elon Musk, lost the race to his opponent, circuit court judge Susan Crawford.

    The same analysis is now available in audio format, as Richardson narrates in podcast.

  • At The Moderate Voice Richard Barry reacts to the Cory Booker filibuster as a stunt, but a principled and effective stunt.

    He asks: When is a stunt not a stunt?

    Key compelling reason:
    Perhaps precisely because he showed what has been so lacking in the opposition: passion, stamina, and focus. He gave so many what they have been looking for.

  • At Scotties Playtime, Ali Redford writes to her Senator (Jon Ossoff from Georgia) urging rejection of the Trump budget, and relays to us his reply.

    Key voter memory
    All of the senators didn’t go to this length, but Sen. Ossoff’s office did, and I won’t forget that!

  • Legal expert Imani Gandy senses a disparity:

  • Our favorite Earth-Bound Misfit notes reported forensic evidence that at least some in the Israeli miltary executed medics and rescue workers.

    Key provisional headline:
    If True, This is Some Nazi Shit

    Hoping, praying, it turns out to be untrue.

    Key moral equivalence:
    Executing medics is shit that one would expect from the Germans in WW2 and the Russians in the current war.

  • In The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser, Bruce considers a common, not universal, Christian practice called sin leveling: the regarding of all sins as equally severe.

    Key leveling
    …if you walk down the produce aisle of the local grocery store, stop at the grapes, and eat a handful without paying for them, you are stealing. In God’s eyes, and the eyes of many Evangelical Christians, you are just as sinful, just as guilty, as a pastor who sexually molested children.

  • Right Wing Watch has our own Senator Josh Hawley from here in Missouri proclaiming the danger: The US is being destroyed by secular spiritual oppression.

    Wait’ll I tell our preacher!

    Key urgency:
    America as we know it cannot survive without biblical Christianity.

  • North Carolina pastor John Pavlovitz is surprised by what was intended as a slur. His is proud to consider himself a beta male.

    Key value:
    “Beta male,” seems to be a MAGA label for a man with decency, self-control, and compassion; someone a woman wouldn’t need to fear being around when alone or vulnerable.

  • Traveling back into Missouri, our own Jess Piper finds herself sharing conversation with a misinformed voter about Trump education policies. It goes well.

    Key principle in action:
    The point? Even when we are tired, democracy is worth it. If we are going to beat back the fascists and the oligarchs, we are going to have to talk.

    We are going to have to reach folks.
    Sometimes, it’s one by one.
    Sometimes, it’s at an airport bar.

  • Frances Langum introduces us to John Lythgow introducing us to Twenty Lessons on Tyranny.

    Worth a listen:

  • CalicoJack in The Psy of Life has a meaningful dream and applies it in a deeply personal way to living with autism.

  • The Journal of Improbable Research finds a cooperative study by three universities in Spain on hair highlighting before diving into swimming pools.

    Key abstract:
    …green hair highlights, coinciding with the application of a cosmetic hair procedure (Californian highlights) prior to swimming in a pool with increased copper content.

    Occasionally, I’m happy to be bald.

  • @whiskeywhistle98 discovers a teachable moment:

  • SilverAppleQueen‘s cats settle a territorial overlap and are at peace.

Burr Deming

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