eVille Times: The Bulwark

Dec 5, 2024

The Bulwark

"The time for cautious restraint is over."

Things we know about Trump:

he's a vindictive prick
he loves to stir the shit - sometimes, just for the hell of it - to scare people in order to massage his own ego. Or to look for something that will accrue to his benefit
he rarely goes thru with anything that doesn't put money in his pocket
he's a fuckup

And that last point is what worries me the most because now he's installing people who know how to do the shitty things he wants done, which will serve to distract us from his blatant pilferage, while they go about actually tearing down the democracy - which is what the plutocrats are pushing for.

Nov 27, 2024

Another Tiff With Mexico

Remember in 2017, Trump sat down to make a round of phone calls on his first day in office, and one of them was a call with President Nieto, when Trump basically tried to get him to play WWE. "You talk shit about me, and I talk shit about you, and we make it look like a fight, but then we get together and make nice and the rubes eat it up. C'mon - it'll be fun."

Don't assume Trump's belligerence towards Mexico isn't:

a) just more theater

-or-

b) a way to rationalize ordering a few cruise missiles in to "teach those cartels a lesson - and that uppity woman president too."

Keep in mind that Trump is always playing the Game Of Opposites. He won't do what he says he'll do, and he will do what he says he won't.

(and that rule changes according to whatever advantage he sees might accrue to him)

So his whole bit about "stopping wars" can be used as cover for when he starts a few.

He's laid the foundation - "he's a peace-maker" - so when he starts some shit, the rubes will assume "the other guy made him do it."

Claudia Scheinbaum's letter to Trump:

Dear President-elect Donald Trump,

I am writing to you regarding your statement on Monday, November 25, concerning migration, fentanyl trafficking, and tariffs.

You may not be aware that Mexico has developed a comprehensive policy to assist migrants from different parts of the world who cross our territory en route to the southern border of the United States. As a result, and according to data from your country’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP), encounters at the Mexico–United States border have decreased by 75% between December 2023 and November 2024. Moreover, half of those who arrive do so through a legally scheduled appointment under the United States’ CBP One program. For these reasons, migrant caravans no longer arrive at the border.

Even so, it is clear that we must work together to create a new labor mobility model that is necessary for your country, as well as address the root causes that compel families to leave their homes out of necessity. If even a small percentage of what the United States allocates to war were instead dedicated to building peace and fostering development, it would address the underlying causes of human mobility.

On another note, and for humanitarian reasons, Mexico has consistently expressed its willingness to help prevent the fentanyl epidemic in the United States from continuing. This is, after all, a public health and consumption problem within your society. So far this year, Mexican armed forces and prosecutors have seized tons of various types of drugs, 10,340 firearms, and have detained 15,640 individuals for violence related to drug trafficking.

Furthermore, the Mexican Congress is in the process of approving a constitutional reform to classify the production, distribution, and commercialization of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs as a serious crime without bail. However, it is publicly known that the chemical precursors used to produce this and other synthetic drugs are illegally entering Canada, the United States, and Mexico from Asian countries. This underscores the urgent need for international collaboration.

You must also be aware of the illegal trafficking of firearms into my country from the United States.

Seventy percent of the illegal weapons seized from criminals in Mexico come from your country. We do not produce these weapons, nor do we consume synthetic drugs. Tragically, it is in our country that lives are lost to the violence resulting from meeting the drug demand in yours.

President Trump, migration and drug consumption in the United States cannot be addressed through threats or tariffs. What is needed is cooperation and mutual understanding to tackle these significant challenges.

For every tariff, there will be a response in kind, until we put at risk our shared enterprises. Yes, shared. For instance, among Mexico’s main exporters to the United States are General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford Motor Company, which arrived in Mexico 80 years ago. Why impose a tariff that would jeopardize them? Such a measure would be unacceptable and would lead to inflation and job losses in both the United States and Mexico.

I am convinced that North America’s economic strength lies in maintaining our trade partnership. This allows us to remain competitive against other economic blocs. For this reason, I believe that dialogue is the best path to understanding, peace, and prosperity for our nations. I hope our teams can meet soon to continue building joint solutions.”

Nov 2, 2024

Going For The Close

"... now the rallies are the shit-posting."

In past cycles, Trump's handlers managed to get him under control for the last few weeks before the election so people would see him as "more normal" than he really is.

That's not the case this time. I think he figures he's going to lose so, "What the hell - I went normal last time and just missed, but then the crazy bit got me close with Jan6, so let's just go for it. I'm going to amp it up to 12 and see if I can get my vigilantes to carry me across the line..."