Rotten Roots
Great empires rise…and fall. And when the time comes, leaders must step up to the challenge. Corruption and dysfunction get worse. They must not stand in the way.
Monday, June 17, 2024
Bill Bonner, writing today from Paris, France
Just before we left Ireland, one of the magnificent old oak trees on the other side of the road toppled over. There it lay, branches broken, jumbled together on the ground... its rotten roots in the air, for all to see.
We had no idea it was dying; until the roots were exposed, we saw only the healthy leaves and majestic, spreading limbs.
The politics of the 2024 election are simple enough.
The Republicans are behind their man Trump. They’d probably prefer a different champion, but Trump has strong appeal among a large part of their voters. He’s not a conservative... but then, neither are Republican voters.
The Democrats are behind their man Biden. They too would prefer to have a different standard bearer. But for better or worse, Biden is what they’ve got.
Trump seems like a con man. Biden, like a doddery old fool.
The press is eagerly trying to catch one or the other in a ‘senior moment.’ The Telegraph:
Another off-day seemed to take place during this week’s G7 summit in Italy when he [Biden] appeared to wander off during a photoshoot with world leaders. As the president, who once again appeared to be completely frozen, turned to face the wrong direction, Italian prime minister Georgia Meloni intervened to usher him back in the direction of the photographer. Some may think that it’s cruel to point out these obvious frailties — but surely it is even more cruel to let him run again in his current state?
The Mirror fires back:
Donald Trump grips railing for dear life in embarrassing video as he walks down stairs.
Both rascals are too old. Neither has a strong sense of where the country should go or a coherent agenda to get it there. Neither is likable or personally attractive. Neither seems very smart. Neither has a sense of history... nor a solid grasp of economics. Neither is suited to the challenge of the White House.
But both are perfect for the mega-political challenge... helping the US towards its rendezvous with catastrophe. Great empires rise…and fall. And when the time comes, leaders must step up to the challenge. Corruption and dysfunction get worse. They must not stand in the way. Arguably, America’s two geriatric nincompoops are just what history needs.
We sympathize with Biden. He’s only six years older than we are. But there’s a time to lead, and a time to let others lead. After watching a few video clips of Biden, appearing to be ‘out of it,’ we are left with the impression that the democrats will probably try a switcheroo before the election. At this stage, Biden is probably a negative for them.
Nobody has a bumper sticker with a heart and ‘I love Biden’ on it. Democratic voters just want him to win, either because they distrust Trump... or because they want to see the elites’ agenda continue without interruption.
A Real Leader
A real leader would have original ideas. He would suggest new approaches. He would propose solutions to the nation’s problems. He might go into a meeting and say “here’s what I think we should do.” While we have never been in a meeting with Joe Biden, we have a hard time imagining him doing that.
Biden, the man, is just a cut-out... a place-holder. We’ve never heard an original thought pass his lips, nor an insight worth remembering. Instead, his pensée is just much-rehearsed blah-blah, sticking with whatever talking points his handlers suggest.
After 50 years of blah-blah, Biden can do it without thinking. He may be fine in the presidential debates, for example, ‘a battle of wits between two unarmed opponents,’ where no honest thoughts are allowed. But there are times when something unexpected happens and you have to think; one of those times is bound to come sooner or later...
And if we’re right, Democratic party insiders won’t want Biden, the man, getting in the way of Biden, the sham. So, they must be looking for some relatively obscure, vaguely presentable substitute — much like Obama in 2008 — who will reliably keep the grift going without stumbling down the steps.
They needn’t worry. Donald Trump had four years to ‘drain the swamp’ and balance the budget. Instead, the swamp got deeper than ever... and the budget was never more out of balance. No agencies or departments or programs were shut down. Not a dollar of spending was cut.
The Donald cut taxes (a cut the Democrats now preserve) but did nothing to diminish the power or wealth of the Imperial City.
At least Trump is what he appears to be — a genuine sleazeball. He craves attention and power... but has no idea what to do with it. No ideology. No philosophy. No plan. That’s what makes him acceptable, in a mega-political sense, to the elites of both parties. He has no ideas that will get in the way.
Yes, dear reader, both candidates are corrupt impostors. One promises more of the same. The other promises something different. But both, witlessly or willingly, will keep the jig up — more war overseas, more spending at home — transferring even more money and power to key, elite lobbies.
The stock market looks healthy. GDP is positive. Unemployment is low.
And the roots rot.
Regards,
Bill Bonner
When I think of Trump, I think of “Cain Mutiny” and Captain Queeg. I always thought Trump was over the top on TV, a pompous ass. When he road the escalator and announced for the Presidency, I laughed.
Then he debated, what seventeen opponents: he annihilated them. There were some formidable opposition.
Trump had an inimitable style; he was a battler. He not only eliminated each debater, but he also changed the Republican Party.He changed America. He unleashed a native populism that I thought was dead. A part of America, the good remnant, came alive.
He was hated by the establishment.
Soon after the Inauguration a million women haters descended on Washington, the Hate Trump syndrome began: it encompassed Russia Gate, three impeachments, the lying of the intelligence community, a constant barrage of hate and disinformation from legacy news, now he is “under” the barrage of the justice system.
That Trump won in 2016 was a miracle.
His biggest accomplishment was that he enraged the deep state, they raged and raged until only an idiot could not understand that America was a tyranny.
Trump fought them for the Supreme Court, a bitter battle and he never backed down.
He tried to normalize relations with Russia, he kept us out of war and refused to bomb, in retaliation, for some insignificant thing when he thought the reprisal unfair to innocents.
He was blindsided by Covid, made some very bigly bad decisions but in the beginning, there was general hysteria.
He could have walked away. I would have. He has a 285 million judgement against him for lying about loans that he paid, and the banks were satisfied with; he is now a felon.
Trump ignited America, you could say there is a battle between good and evil, lies and truth.
Not a bad piece of work.
Trump is a battler; he threw everything he has into the battle. There is no one, other than Trump, that could at least have given America this one last chance at redemption.
I support Trump because providence has raised him up; maybe, he will stop WW3 and Armageddon.
It is sad, that Bill vilifies from the sidelines in his whimsical castles.
Geez, Bill, quit holding back and tell us what you really think! It is clear to me that you don’t like either of the major candidates, and kinda like Kennedy as the dark horse candidate. I know after reading your essay why you don’t like Biden and I agree with your assessment. In fact, I’ll go one step further. Joe is a crook, a liar, a plagiarist, and has finally reached the age where he is senile. Hope America has the brains to vote him out. I am less clear on your dislike, nay I say hatred, of Trump. The Donald is clearly disliked by many, but I can’t seem to get a clear reason why he is so unpopular. Your description that he lacks any stated plans to solve the economic perils in the world. I don’t recall ANY of the candidates on either side of the aisle offering economic solutions to our situation. “Balance the budget” seems to be a popular refrain within Bonner, et al, but do you really think anyone can make the sizable cuts in government needed to get us balanced? Trump has kept us out of wars and almost got us out scot free of Afghanistan. Could we get some extra money from the defense budget if we could stay out of unnecessary conflicts? Just a thought. Could we cut budgets in various departments? Maybe, but we will need to fire a lot of bureaucrats. Doesn’t “drain the swamp” suggest a house cleaning in the bureaucracy? Can Trump accomplish any of these without legislative help? No, but it seems to me like he is finally getting the Conservative Party to unite behind him. Now, if they can win an election! So, Bill, I ask you to give me specifics on why you hate Trump, but be specific on what he must do or what he specifically did to earn your ire. Otherwise, your rants are getting a bit tired and you might want to move on to something that you and we can do to save us from the projected perdition.