Ain't Hindsight a Bitch?

I have to do some research on the first one-hundred days of the James Buchanan administration (1857-1861). He is generally regarded by most historians to be the most incompetent chief-executive in the history of Idiot Nation. Indeed, so traumatized was he by his four years in the White House, on March 4, 1861 (the traditional Inauguration Day in that time) he is said to have told the new president, Abraham Lincoln: "Sir, if you are as a happy a man upon entering this office as I am upon leaving it, you are a happy man indeed". Buchanan's consistent blundering for the four years he held that job made civil war inevitable. Most people breathed a sigh of relief when the poor old bugger was finally carted away to cushy retirement at his farm in Lancaster, P.A.

I suppose that most of us will also be breathing easier once our esteemed, Common-Pervert-In-Chief is no longer sleeping under the roof of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The difference between 1857 and 2017 (and it's a difference worth taking note of) is that one-hundred and sixty years ago there was no such thing as "the nuclear code". Just thought I'd make that little observation.

Idiot Nation

Not to my surprise, recent polling shows us that only about two-to-four percent of the people who were naïve enough to cast their ballots for this unhinged and blithering twit regret their choice. I suspect that by year's end, that number will rise somewhat - but not too much. These statistics are a sad reflection of what America has become. There is no longer "an informed citizenry", cognizant of the issues and their own interests.  We're just a nation with enough unhinged and blithering twits to keep us in a perpetual state of ruin for generations unseen. Fold up the chairs, strike the tent and go home.

Crappy Days are Here Again

The "first one-hundred days" of various administrations did not become a measuring stick of legislative accomplishment until the opening months of the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. The notable difference between then and now, obviously, is that eighty-four years ago FDR came into office inheriting an economic catastrophe - the kind of which had never been seen before; With twenty-five percent of the workforce unemployed and most-of-the rest barely getting by, the opinion of many was that the "American experiment" had turned out to be a dismal failure. Although there were a handful of slip-ups at the dawn of the New Deal, at the end of those one-hundred days, there was a palpable optimism in the air. The first few steps of the proverbial journey of a thousand miles had been taken, and Americans were making that journey together. The popular tune of the moment was, "Happy Days are Here Again".

Donald Trump, on the other hand, inherited from Barack Obama an economy that, if not completely vigorous, was sailing smoothly - as is inarguably still the case. When the proverbial substance hits the fan (as it will within a year - if not sooner) you can bet that the Donald will not be taking the blame for  the bad numbers, as he is currently giving himself the credit for the good numbers. The buck will never stop at this president's desk.

Yeah, Trump's supporters went to a dark and disturbing place when they sent this fool to the Executive Mansion. They'll deserve everything that happens to them.

In closing here is a friendly reminder to chew on:

The president of the United States of America - and several people within his inner circle during the 2016 campaign - are being investigated for possible treasonous acts.

Oh yeah, this is going to end very badly.

Tom Degan

Goshen, NY

SUGGESTED READING:

The Defining Moment

by Jonathan Alter

A paragraph from this excellent book:

"The banking crisis peaked just before his inauguration. With the upper Midwest in turmoil, Cleveland banks began to fold, threatening the Ohio banking structure. New Jersey passed an emergency law limiting withdrawals, causing a spread of panicky behavior in the East. In a three-day period starting February 23, Indiana, Arkansas and Maryland declared holidays [in order to close the banks], kicking off a round of more closures the following week. By Saturday, February 25, the Hoover White House received word to expect rioting on Monday in Detroit. where the banks had been closed for nearly two weeks. People couldn't buy gasoline, milk, or bread. Railroad cars stayed on sidings. Thousands of automobiles were abandoned, out of gas in the middle of the road. The only good news was that this lack of transportation made starting a riot harder."

Here's a link to order it off of Amazon.com:
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https://www.amazon.com/Defining-Moment-Hundred-Jonathan-2007-05-08/dp/B01FKU9EV0/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493165563&sr=1-4&keywords=The+Defining+Moment+by+Jonathan+Alter
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This one cannot be recommended enough.

 

AFTERTHOUGHT

Here’s a jolly thought to send you off into Dreamland:

 

The fate of the world now hinges on the temperaments of two unhinged sociopaths with really stupid haircuts.

 

Ain’t that a riot?