DO NOT DISASTERCISE
Keep Your Expectations Positive
As we watch the unfathomable incompetence of our top federal officials, it is easy to see where the country is heading, and it’s not a pleasant vision. But we need to be careful not to lend any of our psychic energy to what they are doing. Not that we should ignore it; it is vitally important that we all stay abreast of what is going on. It is equally important that we all speak up loudly to counter their dangerous words and actions. At the same time, we need to avoid imagining the worst that could happen and instead envision the positive outcomes that we want to create.
Trump is not running the government. His mental capacities have deteriorated so badly that his handlers only trot him out for photo shoots signing executive orders written by the Project 2025 gang. He no longer holds rallies or speaks in public other than to read prepared texts, and his late-night tweets have become increasingly incoherent. His State of the Union address only made sense when he read the script. His many asides and diversions were often-repeated lines from his rally rambles, which is a symptom of dementia. It is essential that he be removed from office under the provisions of Article 25 of the constitution, but the people who are authorized to take that action are complicit in hiding his inability to function normally.
The courts have been deciding cases brought against the administration almost exclusively in favor of the plaintiffs, but the legal system moves slowly, and the defendants have indicated that they may ignore court rulings. That is not setting well with Chief Justice Roberts and possibly two of the Supreme Court justices appointed by Trump. They do not appear to be aligned with the Project 2025 vision and may surprise us by actually defending our constitution and the rule of law. Republican senators, representatives, and commentators have been dismissing these rulings as actions by regional judges who have limited jurisdiction, but that is how the system works.
That leaves only congress members to follow their constitutional mandate and retake control of the government. Republicans have been marching in lockstep with the Project 2025 agenda but that is beginning to change. If they continue on that path, they will most certainly lose their majority in both houses in 2026. That is, if we have a fair election. They are already moving to change the voting rules and force all states to comply with the changes. And it would not be surprising to see them start a war next year and declare elections cancelled.
If enough people gather to protest loudly against the current administration, we may encourage traditional Republican senators and representatives to speak out against the destruction of our democracy. As the effects of the DOGE massacre begin to hit home on the Republican voters, they are starting to pay attention and rebel against their representatives. Residents of the reddest Republican states will be the most severely hurt by the loss of food assistance, medical services, housing and agricultural subsidies, and jobs. When the threat of being defeated by a Democrat or Independent exceeds the threat of being primaried by a more conservative Republican, some senators and representatives may finally step up and do the right thing.
With the weather getting warmer, expect to see large numbers of people turning out for town meetings, demonstrations, as well as picketing and boycotting of businesses whose owners have supported Trump and the Project 2025 agenda. It is not unreasonable to envision Republicans being routed from congress in the next election, not just by Democrats, but also by Independents and traditional Republicans, and Trump subsequently removed from office. When that happens, Elon Musk and his DOGE team might seek exile in China to avoid prosecution for illegally tampering with our government. Trump might finally be convicted of treason or also flee the country. JD Vance would step into the president’s seat but is enough of a chameleon that he could change once again to do whatever he feels is in his own best interest.
This is all wild speculation, of course, but it does offer a reasonable solution to the mess we are in and is the one that I am envisioning.
(Henny Penny cartoon borrowed from an open-source website)