This Carbon Based Life

By David Glenn Cox

A fun fact from our fiendish friends at Faux News. An independent-thinking lot of braindead yokels of the type which could be recruited for a Fox News poll were asked. Do you think Donald Trump is too old to fulfill his duties as President of the United States? 55% answered, surprisingly, “Yes!” Those who live by the age sword, shall die by the age sword. Hard right leaning fascists, fitfully in fear their Fuehrer is failing and over the hill. That is an astounding figure, all by itself.

This was a Faux News poll! Not a real poll! (They only set them up so they can knock them back over) They decide on the answer they want and then design a question which elicits that response. (Think Pavlov) This wasn’t the only question asked, just the only one reported. If you read the company memo carefully and completely, the intent becomes obvious. It leaves two possibilities: either Fox News completely mis-wrote the questionnaire, or the results were far in excess of their projections. Either they asked the question wrong, or they’re losing touch with their own people. Everybody loves Donald Trump, don’t they? Right? BOO! HISS! BOO! See? They still love him, just like always!

Mr. Trump says humbly that they talked about Taiwan while in China! You’re goddamn right they talked about Taiwan! Xi was brutal with the old man. It was hard for Mr. Trump to stand up after kissing Xi’s shoes in a humble show of supplication. Xi called us an empire in decline. And he has every right to think that if he wishes, but everything which sails past the teeth, you pay for eventually. He’s our goddamn idiot! And we can call him an idiot if we like, but you on the other hand, you had best watch your mouth.

It would be easy to assume the limited media coverage was because of Chinese censorship, but the Trump team’s message was to ignore the message from the start. What message? See? We went to China to talk about trade and any other little old matters which might come up in conversation. News, or current events. But whatever you do, don’t mention Iran…Shit! I mentioned it. This has nothing to do with Iran. This has everything to do with Iran. Trump was summoned to Beijing and lectured like a recalcitrant office boy. You get that goddamn strait open or we might have to talk about Taiwan some more.

If ever the People’s Republic had a mind to do something froggy, I guess now would be a good time. While the navy is stretched out and missile inventories are said to be low (not low) But, it’s like Halloween candy; after a day or two, you still have plenty, but most of the good stuff is gone. The shoot around the corner missiles and the fly through the window missiles are gone. But taking Taiwan causes China as many problems as it solves. There’s no need to buy the cow, if you can get the milk cheap enough. After the invasion come boycotts and sanctions. Defeating any advantage China might gain peacefully.

The Taiwan issue is like gay rights or abortion in this country. When times get tough domestically, Chinese politicians beat the drum against Taiwan. It’s a super-patriot issue! In this country, we wave the flag or the Second Amendment; they wave Taiwan. They have the convenience of having Goldstein right off their coast. If China invaded Taiwan, it would lose that benefit . They wouldn’t have Taiwan to kick around anymore. Imagine a Republican politician in this country with elections coming, without a hot- button social issue to run on?

But how could Fox News state media get this so wrong? The question was simple enough. Is the orange geezer getting too old, yes/no? Did they ask, do you still support Donald Trump in conjunction? (What do you think?) It got me thinking that maybe, this might be a convenient out for Trumpers. Do they still love Donald Trump and admire him like Jesus? But fear he’s getting too old to hit the fastball? They don’t like high fuel prices, the war or the  shaky economy and the inflation, but they aren’t quite ready to get rid of him . “Oh, gosh, I guess maybe he is getting too old! Bless his heart.”

“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”  ― George Orwell

On the one hand, Fox News found 55% of its viewers thought Mr. Trump was getting too old to be president, while a similar number had no real problem with mental incompetency. Like I said, it wasn’t a real poll; it was a Fox News poll. In a real poll; the next question would have been, “If yes, should the President be removed from office?” I bet they left that question off. Because, of course, Fox News doesn’t want the subject of presidential removal ever mentioned…Shit! I mentioned it. Why does Donald Trump answer questions on Air Force One? Because it gives Mr. Trump a wall to lean on and casually hold on to, and as an excuse for any unsteadiness. Did you see him coming down the stairs?

The countdown has begun. House Republicans are asking pointed questions at the Defense Department and 86-proof Pete Hegseth. The committee wants to know who at the D.O.D and when, they cancelled the two combat brigades destined for Poland and the one in rotation headed to Germany. These Republicans were upset. No, they were angry. You couldn’t hardly tell they were Republicans at all. You see; they weren’t angry that Mr. Trump is doing something punitive and shortsighted and stupid because his feelings were hurt. Something which could come back to bite us on the ass. No, they were angry because the administration had forgotten to tell the Republicans in Congress about it.

The daze of the doublethink dilemma are numbered. To believe this man is too old or too crazy. Too delusional or too dangerous or maybe too out of touch, but that’s fine for now and acceptable. Sure, he’s too old but what are you going to do, huh? Maybe he is crazy; I don’t know, but it’ll be fine, I guess. What’s the worst thing that could happen?

“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” ― Winston S. Churchill