Bathroom, handlers, and resonance

The Bathroom. We are driven beyond the politics of the left and right.  Long may they survive.  We have arrived at what may only be called politics of the bathroom.  Modern politics seems now confined to a small room needing frequent deodorizing.

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Handlers. Many celebrities, mostly those driven to political activism, have handlers pumping, pumping, and pumping them to make news.  The most recent is the footballer Kyle Kaepernick, who’s most recent activity was to stick in the eye of Miami Cubans the affirmation of Fidel Castro’s greatness (in education and more).  He has little understanding of what Castro did, what he represented, how he operated, and how many died opposing his injustice.  Despite his ignorance, he does make news for those regarding him merely as an useful idiot*. Kaepernick is truly just that, having not the slightest understanding of his usefulness.  No doubt, he regards himself as an athlete-intellectual – or maybe an intellectual athlete. He is incorrect.  He is just plain stupid.  His reputation is diminished; soon he will soon be dropped.

*This term has been used for generations, first apparently by Lenin, to describe those duped into making good comments about bad regimes.  Though applied by both the right and the left, it is typified in the book by Mona Charin, Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First.  What is remarkable is the methods are always the same, namely to parley their message using news sources to spread the word.  If news sources had any credibility these days, it might work, but all the big news channels are so tainted that few believe anything. The smaller channels appeal only to their base(s).

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Resonance.  Look out now as various news agencies sound the depths of discontent looking for an issue that resonates against Donald Trump.  The same agencies also looked for one with Bush.  With Bush it took some years. They pounded and pounded and finally one.  It was the Iraq war.  The economic downturn helped. The other side tried the same with Obama, and finally found a few with Obama care, foreign policy, and spending.  Pound baby, pound.  What will work with the new guy is not yet clear.  He’s not yet even inaugurated; yet the battle is engaged.  They should, in my view, save their ammo, for the months ahead.  With the last months of pure bathroom effluent, the country is war weary from obnoxious smell.  [Mixed metaphor.  Maybe "stinking war" would be better. :)]