Clive knows History-- a Bar Stool Story
You've heard the expression many times I'm sure, "History repeats itself", usually from some sage sitting next to you at the Bar who is watching the News, and has no idea what to make of it, why its happening, or when this event might have happened before that led him to form this conclusion. Then you turn to him or her and say, "really?" At that point he says "hey, my name is Clive, can I buy you a drink"? You say no thanks, but don't want to tell him that you don't want a conversation, so you get up to pee and then go sit somewhere else. Who wants to hear that his wife is screwing around again, which was likely his Historical example? Where was I? Oh, yeah.
As much as folks would like to believe that History repeats, (since that's the best argument there is to be able to avoid thinking or acting in any way in response to anything that happens, since we know its cyclical, predestined, foretold, locked in, was bound to happen, etc) it actually is not really true. "Patterns" of History often repeat, due to the fact that people, who can be kind of neurotic, often repeat the Phantasmigorically stupid decisions and patterns of behavior that unfortunately are embedded in our DNA as Human Nature, and given the inconvenient factor of "causality" in our Universe, consequences of said repeated stupidity tend to be similar. If Clive is at the Bar every night watching the News and stewing about his wife, getting smashed, buying everyone drinks, and going home at 2am with a BAC over 2, its likely he's going to get a DUI, and his wife is going to be on Tinder when he gets home. Hey, its happened before.
The only time where Patterns of History don't repeat, is when some person or group of people do something Historically good. Such as a Scientific Discovery, an Artistic creation, the launching of an Institution of Learning, a political movement for Justice, a reform of the Law, or a Religious movement that brings people closer to the Creator, and adds to the dignity of Human life. In these cases, since they have never been done before, they are firsts, and therefore not repetitive by definition. They are the first to do something that way, and because they are creative and not strictly neurotic, causality in the Universe rewards it as it generally does with events that are good. Whew! Got that all out.
So, to summarize, Patterns of History tend to repeat due to a prevalence of stupid fuckheads in high places fucking up, in similar ways, over and over again, until someone creative and not neurotic shows up and cleans up their mess. If you ever run into Clive at the Bar, try that out on him. Worst case is that he'll buy you a drink.
This all leads me to conclude that Donald Trump's political allies are in various degrees weighing their options, doing their political calculus, and working on plans to jump from the sinking ship like Rats, and save themselves while the Administration self-immolates like something out of Nibelungen in Wagnerian Opera. Ah yes, Wagner. "You know who's" favorite composer.
In April of 1945, Hitler had a brief moment of Euphoria when informed of the death of Franklin Roosevelt on April 12. He was so manic that he believed this was a sign of impending Victory for Germany, so long as they could hold off the Red Army long enough to bring their Wunderwaffen on line. He firmly believed the Western Allies would bend to a more friendly US Government, sue for peace, and enlist his help in destroying the Soviet Union. Of course, as the sound of the approaching Red Army was reaching him even deep in his Bunker below the Chancellery, his Generals simply got tired of lying to him and fabricating battle reports. While Hitler had been busy deploying and reorganizing non-existent Divisions and units, giving orders to Generals who had nothing left, it began to dawn on him that he was done. At that point, he crossed the boundary from madman to psychotic madman, and began screaming insane invective and orders at his commanders and subordinates. He ordered Albert Speer, the Architect and Minister of Industries to blow up German Warehouses of food and supplies, bridges, factories, everything that had economic value. Literally, he told Speer that the German people were unfit to live, because they failed him and lost, and should die with him. Surrender was never an option for Hitler, because only he knew the scale and scope of the crimes he ordered committed, and the fate awaiting him.
However, his subordinates, (other than Stephen Miller look alike Joseph Goebbels, who killed himself and wife and six children) all hatched exit strategies, Himmler, Keitel, Rosenberg, Brandt, Goering, Schact, all intended to save their hides, and began making overtures to the Western Allies to make deals. Himmler tried to escape and failed, then committed suicide, as did Goering in Jail before his trial at Nuremberg. Speer made a deal and only got 20 years in Spandau Prison. Hjalmar Schact, the Reichsbank Chairman, had so much blackmail on Western Bankers and Corporations and their funding of Hitler, he was acquitted thanks to British pressure, then given eight years by West Germany's government, which he appealed, and was out in 1948.
Hitler of course killed himself rather than stand trial, but the rest of his people went every man for themselves. I don't think I'm presuming too much, Hitler comparison aside, that Trump intends to go down fighting, rather than spend the rest of his life in Court, humiliated as a failure, as the WOAT. (Worst Of ALL Time) But only his family and maybe Barr will remain loyal. Everyone else is dealing. They don't want to destroy their careers, or be associated with endorsing Trump's deployment of the Army to shoot down their constituents and voters, which would be bad politics, and certainly hurt their Poll numbers. Many of them have enough dirt on Trump to withstand his reprisals, and would have a better chance surviving and winning re-election if they bolt now.
How do I know? Well, I don't. I can guess. What is remarkable is the silence. The silence is deafening. Have you heard anything from Pence? Do you hear the GOP Congressmen lining up with passionate defenses of their Fuehrer, er President? Only a few, whose voting base is so hard Christian Right that their future is tied to him are speaking for him. The rest are dealing. Others openly revolting. I would bet Clive a Beer on it.
Now, lastly, there are signs that I, being an amateur Delphic Oracle, interpret in a certain way. Signs that say the 25th Amendment is in play. Signals coming from certain circles that there is a discussion. Pence is the one who has to do it. Is he a good man? Does he have good intentions? Does he care equally about ALL of the American people? The answer to all that is a hard no. Is he ambitious? Absofuckinglutely. He has wanted to be President since the Womb, its why his middle name is Placenta. (no, not really, but he is "Pro Life") He has been very quiet, and to me, it is his relative silence that rings most loudly. But, given Trump's extreme paranoia, Pence will likely try to buy some maneuvering room by throwing out some team spirit over the next few days. That is, until he gets a text or two from some people that are higher up on Olympus than even he or Trump, who ask for a little meeting over at that quiet liitle Bar to run a few ideas up the flagpole. And they might run into Clive while they are there, and help him out with his wife problem while they're at it, and buy him a Beer. Do not be surprised at anything you see.
There, I just wrote the narrative. Gather your own facts, keep an eye out, and look for things to happen for the first time that are not repeats or to ever be repeated. Enjoy the ride.
