Mental gestures resembling ideas

That is how someone — I don’t know who — described the current state of Republican thought: “mental gestures resembling ideas.” Like The Felon’s claim pre-election he had “the outline of a plan” for health insurance. In that spirit, let’s look at some stupid gestures.

Nobody gestures like Sen. Tommy Tuberville who claims “We have entire men’s teams across this country now that are turning trans. Women’s teams, they’re turning trans.” It’s not only a lie, it’s stupid gibberish.

Or consider Pete Hegseth, SecDef, who in addition to purging all mention of nonwhite nonmale heroes from his department is apparently looking to fire anyone who doesn’t contribute directly to “lethality.” Sure, that could be a simple matter of removing a lot of paper-pushers, but the military has lots of civilian employees who handle logistics, family support, etc. I’m not optimistic he can tell the difference.

I’ve often thought the problem with FOTUS is that he’s an old fart, grumbling about low-flush toilets, paper straws and wind farms like the crabby old uncle at the family dinner. This blog post points out he remembers the days of industrial America, assembly lines, blue collar factory work, and he wants it back regardless of whether many Americans are interested or capable of it. Nor does he care that relocating manufacturing and supply chains to the US, even if possible, would be ultra-expensive. The Felon’s reality is immune to fact. Hence, tariffs.

And despite the EU, Canada and China retaliating with tariffs on our goods, the idiot in the White House insists it’s going wonderfully! Record numbers of companies relocating manufacturing to the US! Foreign leaders begging to make a deal! He’s got no names or examples but what do you want from him, facts? He knows his strategy is brilliant! And cutting most of the tariffs (but not all) was his master plan all along. Businesses are totally not suffering!

I’m sure he thinks the same about his desire to conquer Canada and Greenland (and shame on Reuters for talking about “Greenland-acquisition negotiations” as if this were something Greenland or Denmark were open to discussing. Say no to sanewashing). He’s made it clear his snowflake fee-fees can’t stand even a slight demurral from his big, beautiful plan.

(I will pause here and note that Dems who think we shouldn’t make the administration’s crimes and horrific policies into a campaign issue are also making futile mental gestures. This is not the time to reach for unity, not with fascist criminal scum. See also.).

Bill Ackman, big-shot in finance, has one idea — kiss The Felon’s ass. Ditto the Republican Party. A lot of them don’t like the tariffs but they’d sooner beg for exemptions than challenge their god-king’s power and risk his wrath. And other er, thinkers, are also pretending the Felon’s strategy is absolutely brilliant (at the link, an explanation why it isn’t).

Here’s a great mental gesture: Felon backers who figured Elon Musk was smart enough to rein the Felon in. So many bad ideas in that thought.

Or FOTUS thinking he can resurrect the coal industry — presumably part of his nostalgia for the days of massive manufacturing and manly American workers.

As I’m not covering the Felon’s every stupid yap and tweet, that’ll be all for now.