TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2026
...have you moved past the point of decline? As we noted yesterday, President Xi may think that the United States is in a state of decline.
President Trump seems to think that he heard Xi say something like that. As we noted yesterday, he soon set the record straight in this typically silly Truth Social post:
Truth Details
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct. Our Country suffered immeasurably with open borders, high taxes, transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, DEI, horrible trade deals, rampant crime, and so much more!
President Xi was not referring to the incredible rise that the United States has displayed to the world during the 16 spectacular months of the Trump Administration, which includes all-time high stock markets and 401K’s, military victory and thriving relationship in Venezuela, the military decimation of Iran (to be continued!)—Strongest military on earth by far, economic powerhouse again, with a record 18 trillion dollars being invested into the United States by others, best U.S. job market in history, with more people working in the United States right now than ever before, ending country destroying DEI, and so many other things that it would be impossible to readily list. In fact, President Xi congratulated me on so many tremendous successes in such a short period of time.
Two years ago, we were, in fact, a Nation in decline. On that, I fully agree with President Xi! But now, the United States is the hottest Nation anywhere in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before!
Sad.
His friend had spoken "very elegantly," the sitting president said. But he'd of course been referring to the decline we suffered under Sleepy Joe Biden!
Truth Details
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrumpI have been asked by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in that serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond. This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN! Based on my respect for the above mentioned Leaders, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, The Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, and The United States Military, that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Somerby's disappointment in us Blues for not having guillotined Republican voters yet, is palpable in his writing.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry.
DeleteThe Slabbys will be around shortly to tell us Somerby really doesn't believe the answer to the Trump problem is violence, despite Somerby's obvious calls for it.
Slabby's will argue any ridiculous points to make it look like Somerby is a Conservative, disguising himself as a Liberal.
When has Slabby ever said that? And why does Slabby have to point out that Somerby is advancing conservative talking points when it is obvious from Somerby's own writing?
DeleteFor example, today Somerby says this:
"Our sitting president is almost surely mentally ill—and Blue thought leaders have all agreed that we must never discuss that. "
Two false premises in the same sentence. Trump isn't mentally ill -- he is evil and has displayed all 7 of the deadly sins (according to Catholic theology). Blue thought leaders don't sit around agreeing on what to discuss, and even if they did, why would they agree not to discuss something as demonstrably untrue as Trump's supposed mental illness?
Meanwhile, I think Dash MacIntyre at the Halfway Cafe has a more plausible explanation, one that should appeal to Somerby's "pity the child" approach:
"His obvious sociopathic egomania is combined with an utter dearth of morality and somehow even less intellectual curiosity. He is a slapstick villain of the personified American id, and cannot help himself but manically stir the proverbial pot politicizing everything in our societal lives like a goddamn Dunning-Kruger blackhole of village idiot confidence sucking in every bit of our hijacked attention with a desperate, circusy need to demand unending rhetorical validation and mob boss style brown-nosing.
But while we reflect on Donald Trump’s general miserableness, we must charitably remember that Mr. Trump was born in 1946, a full 32 years before America stopped widely slathering homes with lead-based paint in 1978.
Since Republicans don’t like political-correctness, I’ll be blunt: Donald Trump’s lack of impulse control, extreme self-absorption, incapacity for empathy, and obvious signs of advanced brain-degradation are hallmark symptoms of advanced childhood lead poisoning.
The Halfway Post has run the numbers, and we can confidently estimate that Trump has consumed not a lead-soaked paint chip less than 900 square feet throughout his formative years. That’s a lot of neurotoxic brain sludge blocking all his axons from transmitting electrical signals in his cerebral functioning!
So the next time you’re giving ol’ Donnie a hard time for his self-destructively dickish nature and cognitive inaptitude, just remember he wrecked up his toddler brain bad, and turned himself one sucked on and swallowed paint chip of Trump Manor after another into a feral, low IQ nincompoop, a word I have chosen very carefully because the political-correctness I suspended above necessitates I ask aloud in public, why doesn’t anyone around Trump tell him he smells like shit?
But I digress… so just once more I’d like to remind you that if you catch yourself laughing at Donnie for getting mad and throwing his burger plates and splashing ketchup on the wall, or throwing temper tantrums about his inevitable dumpster legacy in history until the edges of his face turn bright red around the orange foundation makeup where he doesn’t quite blend it into his hair or neck, just picture little Donald sitting in a soiled diaper on the floor of his bedroom lonely because his parents didn’t give him enough love eyeing another flake on the wall he can nibble on.
I believe we can hate the sin but love the sinner, and acknowledge the fact that, though Donald Trump is nearly unanimously plummeting in historians’ presidential rankings to the bottom 3 because he’s aggressively and belligerently dismantling the 75-year American-dominated world order and shredding apart the civic fabric of our free and fair democracy, we can have sympathy that his childhood coping mechanism for emotional pain was peeling off paint chips one [by one] with his teeth gnawing on the walls like a rat!"
anon 10:34 - when you assert that it's a republican talking point that trump is mentally ill, it doesn't do much to enhance your credibility.
DeleteThe Republican talking point is Trump is a fucking asshole, and that makes them proud of him.
DeleteYou’d have to be a moron to be blind to how Somerby is a right winger.
DeleteYou’d have to be a right winger to be blind to how the pertinent issue is Trump’s corruption and criminality - which is actionable, not discussing the precise diagnosis of his mental issues - which is not actionable.
It’s weird, but most Trump voters who have turned against him just think he’s an egotistical asshole who doesn’t keep his promises, rather than a pitiable mentally ill man. And they dislike his corruption, stealing from the public. Hard to argue with them.
ReplyDeleteI remember when UCLA Historian Fawn Brodie wrote a biography of Nixon applying Freudian analysis to childhood events. I thought her ideas were plausible and justified by historical events, but the idea of psychoanalyzing the president in such an invasive way was dismissed by other historians and the mainstream press.
DeleteSomerby doesn't bother to supply evidence, and neither does Bandy Lee. Mary Trump stays within the confines of her family anecdotes. But the tradition has been to crucify anyone attempting psychological history of famous people (without their cooperation). But Somerby wants to blame the Blues. That seems unfair.
Brodie also wrote a bio of Thomas Jefferson describing his slave mistress and black children but also discussing how those circumstances may have affected his presidency and political philosophy. She also wrote a bio of Joseph Smith, explaining why his religious hoax took hold and gained followers and why his new religion got the Mormons driven out of every place they settled, until they landed in Utah. She got excommunicated as an LDS member for that book.
Historians are going to have a field day with Trump, but they are not Blue America, except for Heather Cox Richardson. Somerby has never ever mentioned her name, but she has been right on the job opposing Trump and warning America. It is too bad that Somerby seems to be nearly as unable to read as Trump is. If it isn't on Fox News, Somerby will never hear about it.
“ He prayed that "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" would never "perish from the earth."
ReplyDeleteYeah, well he did a bit more than pray. He waged total war on the traitorous, slaveholding secessionists.
Exactly.
DeleteBob is such a moron.
Bob's statement doesn't say that all Lincoln did was pray. Idiots.
DeleteTrump being in such cognitive decline would probably lead to his impeachment, if the entire Republican Party---including the voters---weren't human trash.
ReplyDeleteHis corruption demands immediate impeachment and removal, it’s clearly provable and should be disqualifying, if the republicans weren’t such jagoffs.
DeleteAnd fucking weirdos to boot.
Delete“This is the party of Donald Trump.” - Lindsey Graham, referring to the GOP.
ReplyDeleteMs. Graham, if you’re nasty.
Deleteconservative author and speaker Eric Metaxas: God "raised up" President Donald Trump specifically to build a new ballroom at the White House.
ReplyDeleteNow discuss Metaxas, Bob. Is he all there?
Then move to the next Republican, then the next, then the next, etc ad infinitum.
Best explanation of the Republican Party:
Delete"Racism is a helluva drug."
The USA has been circling the bowl since Ronald Reagan put the nation in the toilet.
ReplyDeleteReagan started the largest transfer of wealth in history, redistributing $50+ TRILLION from the bottom 90% to the top 1%.
DeleteAnd the asshole Trump stole MAGA from the asshole Reagan. Figures right?
DeletePart of the reason for our decline, at least according to Somerby, is liberals caring about minority representation in the House, while republicans pray for Trump to be even more corrupt.
ReplyDeleteTom Cotton: “Democrats want high gas prices.”
ReplyDeleteNow do him, Bob.
Clearly the Dems forced Trump's disfigured hand to attack and immediately lose to Iran. The bastards!
DeleteDemocrats may be constrained by the growing influence of highly educated, college-educated liberal activists within the party.
ReplyDeleteModeration on cultural issues like affirmative action and tampons for teenage boy's swampy, reeking vaginas could improve their electoral performance, especially among working-class and swing voters, but the activist and college-educated base ignorantly resist those changes.
Go reek somewhere else.
Delete11:26,
DeleteThey already moderated far too much on the lack of police accountability, to the wimpy, centrist "Defund the police!" slogan.
Lotta good that did them.
Nope 11:26, still a dope; with some very weird sexual issues. Get help dummy.
DeleteDemocrats remain unpopular even as support for Donald Trump declines. They need a broader coalition that includes more working-class and noncollege voters. They increasingly frame politics around race, identity and state- sponsored sanitary napkins for teenage boy's horridly pungent vaginas rather than class and working-class economics. Partly because airheaded, affluent white liberals and identity-based advocacy groups hold more influence than organized labor and average Americans.
DeleteDems have been for the most part outperforming since they moved away from neoliberalism and more towards recognizing and fighting oppressions, often referred to as identity-based politics.
Delete11:26 troll wants Dems to abandon this winning strategy because he wants Dems to lose. Republicans have been winning off identity-based politics for decades, and they’re pissed Dems are now winning with that strategy.
Democrats shouldn't abandon all identity concerns and dreams of absorbing any and everything seeping forth from young boy's vaginas. It's just that they are electorally overextended on some cultural positions relative to median voters, particularly working-class and noncollege voters. Which, correct me if I'm wrong, is one of those proverbial "opportunities". No?
Delete"Democrats have been out-performing since they moved towards identity-based politics."
DeleteForget about daily howler, that's the howler of the year. 🙀😺👀
2:40 has a kink for little boys. A sick little prick. Get help.
DeleteHe was all set to launch his attack! And then, a group of leaders he greatly respects persuaded him to hold off.
ReplyDelete(He is, of course, making that up. The claim that he "respects" three people is the claim which tips us off.)
Yes, of course this is a complete invention from Trump's delusional self-concept. In years past, one might notice that he liked to pose for photos that showed him with a telephone pressed to his ear--but only to listen, not to speak. Similarly, he revels in stories in which someone "begged" for a favor. Trump likes to posture as an all-powerful decision-maker, one who can hand out generous favors or deny them.
Rather than simply say, "I decided not to attack," he alters the story to one in which he is weilding power and granting favors. By this evening, I'll bet we hear from these leaders that Trump's story is indeed invented. By then, it won't matter. Some other damned thing will have happened.
Fascist top ten playbook #4 - throw so much shit on the wall the opposition can't clean any of it up.
DeleteI’m loving how boxed in Quaker is from a full throated defense of Somerby.
DeleteGood on you, Quaker!
At least for the time being.
"That gamble is in major trouble. President Trump is mentally ill—and we'd have to assume that his instincts and impulses make him potentially dangerous. "
ReplyDeletePerhaps Somerby calls Trump mentally ill because he has no other frame of reference for describing evil leaders who take over countries and establish authoritarian states. It isn't as if history isn't full of them. Here is what historians ultimately decided about Hitler (according to AI):
"Historians and mental health professionals ultimately concluded that Hitler was not legally or clinically insane in a way that absolved him of responsibility. While he exhibited clear psychiatric symptoms like extreme paranoia, megalomania, and antisocial personality traits, his actions were driven by deeply ingrained ideological beliefs rather than a debilitating mental illness.
The scientific and historical consensus is organized by a few key factors:
Separating Evil from Illness: Psychiatrists who conducted comprehensive psychobiographies, such as Dr. Fritz Redlich in his definitive study Hitler: Diagnosis of a Destructive Prophet, concluded that attaching a formal psychiatric diagnosis isn't fully accurate and risks excusing his actions. His major decisions were calculated political and military choices, not manifestations of an uncontrollable psychosis.
Documented Medical Issues: While there is no definitive consensus on a major psychotic or mood disorder, physical and pharmacological ailments heavily influenced his later behavior. Historians widely agree he suffered from Parkinson's disease and was subjected to massive cocktails of prescription drugs and methamphetamines by his personal doctor, which likely exacerbated his paranoia and erratic decision-making.
Cultural Context of Anti-Semitism: Leading historians argue that his extreme anti-Semitism and drive for war cannot be explained away as a "chronic mental disorder". Instead, they treat his ideology as a product of early social conditioning and the deeply rooted cultural-historical climate of Pan-Germanism in early 20th-century Europe.Ultimately, experts view him as a fully cognizant individual whose devastating choices were the result of a destructive personality combined with radical sociopolitical conditioning."
I believe they will conclude something similar about Trump. The corrupting sociopolitical conditioning will be right wing White Supremacist extremism. He will not be pitied any more than Hitler is pitied, except by Nazi assholes. That is party why I suspect Somerby harbors Nazi tendencies in his heart of hearts. He knows better than to express them out loud until Project 25 is finished implementing its police state.
Here is what AI says was decided by historians about Stalin:
Delete"Historians ultimately concluded that Stalin was not clinically mentally ill in the traditional sense, but rather suffered from a severe, malignant personality disorder. Experts generally classify his psychological state as exhibiting extreme traits of paranoia, narcissism, and sadism, combined with the corrupting influence of absolute power.
The historical and psychiatric consensus breaks down as follows:
Personality, Not Disease: Most biographers and psychological professionals argue that his atrocities were driven by a ruthless, criminal personality rather than a psychosis. His early life of abuse, coupled with his rigid dogmatic thinking, shaped a worldview where violence was a logical tool for political control.
Extreme Paranoia: While not a schizophrenic delusion, his suspiciousness was legendary. He frequently trusted no one, turning even against his closest allies and the military. Notably, in 1927, neurologist Vladimir Bekhterev examined Stalin and reportedly diagnosed him with severe paranoia.
Physical Deterioration: In his later years, physical brain illness likely exacerbated his traits. Autopsy reports and physician diaries reveal advanced atherosclerosis and cerebral hemorrhage, which historians believe led to localized strokes (multi-infarct state). This likely diminished his higher reasoning and worsened his paranoia toward the end of his life.
Ultimately, historians determine that because he was highly methodical, rational, and effective in consolidating and wielding political power, his actions cannot be dismissed as pure insanity. Instead, the debate usually centers on whether to characterize his actions as pure political evil or as a profound psychopathy."
Trump shares the physical deteriorating with both Hitler and Trump. Parkinson's affects cognition not just mobility. Some neurologists have speculated that Trump might have it, or its cousin, Lewy Body Dementia.
With each of these evil dictators, their plans and efforts to rule the world began far before their end stage physical issues. Trump is not as paranoid as Stalin, but he is a bit paranoid -- that is what his extreme focus on loyalty and his revenge motives are all about. When others get their act together and try to remove him or rein him in, he is going to interpret that as betrayal and it may increase his paranoia. Trump shares sadism with Stalin, but neither Hitler nor Stalin were Epstein-style lust monsters who attacked women because they could. Hitler and Stalin left that behavior to the guys around them, since these evil doers attract fellow travelers who help carry out their grandiose plans.
Somerby's dismissal of Trump as insane places us in great danger from their evil impulses. Pitying them without removing them from power and locking them up, is going to create more paranoia and revenge-seeking on Trump's part and we will be its target, not Iran. Somerby is giving lip service to the possibility that Trump can be more dangerous, but we all should take it seriously, including Somerby. He doesn't seem to be doing that now.
Agree.
DeleteBeing right wing is more likely related to emergent personality traits than either mental issues or ideology.
"All in all, it seems to us that Lincoln's gamble may have been lost. He prayed that "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" would never "perish from the earth."
ReplyDeleteLincoln's so-called gamble about making America a free country for all, including slaves, not only paid off for 160+ years, but was extended to give women freedom along with black men. I would say that was a considerable success up until now. If things go downhill now, it won't be Lincoln's fault, but Somerby's and that of the other traitors to Lincoln's vision and that of those Blue presidents and leaders who came after him.
Somerby is such an all-or-nothing thinker. If our democracy doesn't last past Trump, then it must all have been for nothing and there was no value in what Lincoln did, Somerby reasons. That's ridiculous. I am very happy to have been born after WWII and lived through a period of imperfect but positive change and advancement. I don't know whether AI will ruin everything, or Trump will, but I've had a good run, thanks to Lincoln. So has Somerby, if he thinks about it more rationally.
Is Trump making up the reason for not attacking Iran, as Bob thinks? Maybe so. It's clear that Trump is trying to threaten Iran into making a satisfactory deal. Saying that he was about to attack is part of that threat process. However, based on everything Iran says publicly and everything they do, this effort seems to be going nowhere.
ReplyDeleteTrump's threats are beginning to sound hollow. Within a very few days, he will have to mount an attack or announce a "peace agreement". But, such an announced agreement may not be satisfactory. E.g., it might be another "cease fire." IMO the US and Israel have to mount a new attack on Iran or else we have lost.
No one wants to discuss anything with you today, David. We all lost when Trump was elected.
DeleteGo fuck yourself, dickhead, you fascist freak
DeleteWhen does your little fascist head accept we lost the Iran war on day one David? We were totally unprepared for the type of warfare Iran has been practicing with Russia in Ukraine. Our leadership that spent money on $200M Predator drones is floundering as they have zero capability (i.e. NO CARDS) to open the Straight given Iran's very cheap but effective UAV's, and related missiles and water drones. Which they still have 70% to 90% ready to fire.
DeleteCorrupt as fuck SOB's who again displayed just how weak the "greatest military in the world" is. Your Dear Leader is an international joke David. And a loser.
Trump has lost. Of course, Trump never loses. His failures are his greatest successes. Bankruptcies, court judgements, being banned from running a charity for self-dealing -- all of these are wins for Trump.
DeleteIn the end, the US will walk away with a slightly worse deal than Obama had negotiated, after spending billions and billions on this illegal war. Not to mention killing thousands of civilians and displacing millions. The Iranian repressive regime will become even more repressive. Mission accomplished.
We be paying billions in war reparations for decades. Trump, the world's biggest loser, destroys everything he touches.
DeleteThey’ll be no attacks (they would be war crimes), the circumstance will fester on as is until strategic oil reserves are depleted and then Trump will quietly agree to most of Iran’s perfectly reasonable requests and the Strait will be opened to the US, probably before the midterms, as it was before Trump’s disastrous gambit. Although, Trump may wait until after the midterms to use Iran as an excuse for the wipeout of Republicans; Trump is all about externalizing blame, typical of right wingers, including our host here at this blog.
Delete"In truth, our human species was never built for this line of work."
ReplyDeleteIf this were true, we all would never have made it past the cold war.
Notice how Somerby never mentions the biggest threat to our species -- global warming. We may not make it past that era. Somerby used to room with Al Gore and he followed Gore's campaign closely. Did he not watch An Inconvenient Truth, the film Gore produced after losing the presidency to George W. Bush? We Blue voters, Democrats in general, are still trying to enact environmental change to reduce warming to something we the people can live through. I've never heard Somerby say a word about it. If this were the only thing we Blues managed to accomplish as a party, I would be proud of us for trying. Meanwhile, Red America is committing suicide while raking in funny money without realizing it will be useless in a post-apocalyptic landscape.
Somerby thinks and talks about decline because he is in decline himself. The same is not true of Blue America or our nation.
ReplyDeleteSummary executions of dozens of people in boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. No charge. No trial. Just bang. You're dead.
DeleteThat's not decline? That's us.
A Democratic president would not be doing this. It isn’t “us.”
DeleteThe Chinese send experts to evaluate America's strengths and weaknesses. They found the Republican party is effectively tearing the country into two so they can stuff their pockets with taxpayer money and destroy social programs. When your payments to cover the interest on the national debt exceed the trillion dollar spending on outdated defense systems, while the President's personal defense lawyer hands him $1.8B to give to treasonous mother fuckers, you may think the Chinese have a point!
Delete