This is the question on many people’s minds these days.
One big question is….who is actually driving this train?
To be clear, this isn’t (just) about Elon Musk, who bought and wormed his way into the White House and seems to be making a lot of the decisions related to dismantling the US government.
It’s also not about Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, the architect of Project 2025, who was downright giddy this week when commenting on the 10,000 staff members of the Department of Health and Human Services who would be let go.
The question is not about who the brains behind the operation is, but rather about who is making key decisions and whether Trump is even capable (and willing) to steer the country.
There seems to be others driving….Trump is only around to wield his magic Sharpie.
Basically after 3 long months of the chaos spread by His Royal Highness and the hatchet of the empire, Musk….some are already asking if this saga ever end?
With the question asked I read something that Jeffrey St. Clair wrote about this present situation by comparing it to another empire….
I include his thought here…..
While contemplating the incipient collapse of our Republic from an inside job, I dipped back into the six-volume edition of Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire that Alexander Cockburn gave me as a Christmas present years ago. Gibbon’s prose style is ornate, featuring wide-ranging and winding sentences that often end abruptly, like a dagger plunging. It takes some pages–and there are entire mountain ranges of them–to get used to his baroque rhetorical rhythm. Still, once you do, the book really picks up steam and roars along through decade after decade of unrivaled imperial villainy, personal cupidity and political turpitude.
Like a historical geologist, Gibbon pinpoints the first major seismic fault triggering the fall of the Empire during the reign of Commodus, the sadistic son of the stoic Emperor Marcus Aurelius, whose Mediations are much promoted (though little practiced) by today’s TechBros. Through much of Commodus’s reign, the man by his side was the conniving Cleander, who became chamberlain of the Empire and commander of Commodius personal death squad, the Praetorian Guard. Here’s Gibbon’s acute (and very timely for our own perilous predicament) assessment of how the Commodus/Cleander partnership worked:
[Cleander] entered the palace, rendered himself useful to his master’s passions, and rapidly ascended to the most exalted station which a subject could enjoy. His influence over the mind of Commodus was much greater than that of his predecessor [Perennis, who Cleander had killed], for Cleander was devoid of any ability or virtue which could inspire the emperor with envy or distrust. Avarice was the reigning passion of his soul, and the great principle of his administration. The rank of consul, of patrician, of senator, was exposed to public sale, and it would have been considered as disaffection if anyone had refused to purchase these empty and disgraceful honors with the greatest part of his fortune. In the lucrative provincial employments the minister shared with the governor the spoils of the people. The execution of the laws was venal and arbitrary. A wealthy criminal might obtain not only the reversal of the sentence by which he was justly condemned, but might likewise inflict whatever punishment he pleased on the accuser, the witnesses and the judge.”
Sound familiar?
Cleander, like Elon Musk, was not a natural-born citizen of the Empire. He came to Rome from Phyrgia, orchestrated hundreds of killings to demonstrate his loyalty, and made a bundle as the hatchet man and chief extortionist for the Emperor until he briefly eclipsed Commodus’s glittering raiment and lost his head for this hubristic transgression.
We can only hope that Elmo will push his luck until his master has had enough.
But will that happen?
Keep in mind that Donny has said that it was good to be the king (paraphrase) and quoted another hard core emperor, Napoleon…
Will Elmo try to usurp Donald the Orange and meet his political end?
Thoughts?
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
Who was running things in previous administration ? Kamooola, Chuck, Hakeem and that witch Jill et al swore every day it was Biden who, by the way, was allegedly energetic, sharp as a tack, had more energy than anyone and in complete control. Four years of lies . Excuse my whataboutism but what about that ? They rescinded most Trump initiatives and EO’s without any discussion on the merits or efficacy but based their recklessness that if Trump set it up , kill it. Now about whether it’s Elon or Donald, remember the wannabe king Donald’s ego would never share power.
He is relegating not sharing….and the next dem prez will rid us of all these end runs EOs….and The GOP and its mindless supporters are doing the same thing dismissing any meaningful ideas….so where’s the difference only some outdated political BS. chuq
At its core, politics is nothing but lies. Both sides. Those “in charge” do whatever is necessary and expedient to promote/bolster themselves and their bank accounts. You can put whatever name you choose onto the individuals … their end goal is the same.
Musk currently has a lot of influence, but I feel sure he will eventually do something to upset Trump, or Trump will tire of him like a child with a once-favourite toy. It’s worth looking again at Vance, who I believe to be jealous of Musk and may try to do something to get rid of Elon. Meanwhile, Trump plays golf in Florida, apparently oblivious.
Best wishes, Pete.
Donny seems to be always oblivious…..good point about Vance….he cannot be trusted. chuq