“It i̇s hard to see how trump would’ve acted any differently i̇f he were a Russi̇an asset than how he has acted i̇n the fi̇rst 100 days of hi̇s second term.”

                     – Ivo Dalder, former ambassador to Nato under President Barrack Obama

SAYING THE UGLY PARTS OUT LOUD

By now, even the most skeptical critics have certainly come to understand that when Trump says something, no matter how trivial or off hand, he is actually telegraphing his intention to carry out whatever hair-brained scheme that has come to his mind. So when he suggests that the federal government should take over elections to prevent voter fraud, you can bet that’s exactly what he intends to do – to assure voter fraud in favor of the Republican candidates who are otherwise destined for defeat come this November. Likewise, don’t be surprised when his army of ICE agents shows up to the polls to intimidate voters, or as he insists, to prevent fraud. It’s not too much of a stretch to see him using the excuse of the ongoing war in Iran to press for greater federal oversight, or even a pause in elections.  And despite the recent shaky ceasefire, it’s unlikely that that whole horrible war will be wrapped up any time soon. So that’s the first thing: take Trump at his word. If he says it, then no doubt his minions are working hard in the background to make it happen. He is the deplorable uncle who always says the ugly parts out loud.

SO WHERE IS THIS GOING?

At this point, Trump and his lackeys have nothing to lose. They have smashed the template of governance so thoroughly, that only shame and imprisonment awaits them should  they lose the House and the Senate next fall. Apart from colluding with Russia to influence the 2016 election and favoring  Russia in peace negotiations with Ukraine, the Trump administration has overseen an explosion of corruption and self-dealing that is destroying the U.S. economy. It has sent  poorly trained agents to occupy blue cities, haul away innocents, and intimidate and even execute American citizens. And now the illegal, unconstitutional war in Iran that – apart from the tragic loss of 1000s of innocent lives and Trump’s genocidal threats – is dragging the whole world’s economy down the toilet.

Do any of these seem like the actions of a man who knows when to put on the brakes? Trump and his lackeys are in too deep to turn back now, they know they’ve already gone too far. All of their schemes are just part and parcel of Project 2025. Or as the saying goes, they are features of their programs, not bugs. So when Trump says he is thinking of invading Cuba, taking the U.S. out of NATO, or even taking over Greenland, I think we should take him at his word.

THE NEW NEW ORDER

In case there’s anyone left who supports Francis Fukuyama’s theory that liberal democracies won the contest of ideas against the ideologies of fascism and communism, it’s high time they dial back their expectations. Indeed, has anyone else noticed how calm Russia and China have been while Trump has sent the American army thrashing about the world like an enraged Godzilla? There’s been a meme circulating for some time now that says 1984 was meant to be a work of fiction, not an instruction manual – and yet here we are. I would argue that Putin and Xi  are completely onboard with Trump shoring up American hegemony in the Americas, since it now takes the pressure off Putin in Ukraine, and implicitly grants licence to the Chinese to invade Taiwan if and when it should suit them. The 3 superstates of Oceana, Eurasia, and Eastasia, locked in perpetual war, don’t seem like such an outrageous prediction anymore. Disregarding the bright points of hope for a moment – the defeat of Orban in Hungary, worldwide No Kings protests, and the slow erosion of Trump’s power base over disillusionment with ICE and his sudden willingness to project American military power, it would seem that Russia, China, and America would welcome a return to great power politics and the establishment of firm spheres of interest. The question is, how powerful will America even be once Trump and his clown car of ridiculous enablers has finished destroying its social, economic, and military standing in the world?